YuGiOh! Burning Red
by Scarlet Weather
Summary: Kaito Shishio- The Lion of the East. Allison Schuyler- former "Spitfire Queen". Achan Smith- a card designer with the eyes of a prophet. This is the fiery mythology of Team Hotbloods as they struggle against fate itself.
1. Chapter 1

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! Burning Red**_

_(A/N: For all of you who have asked to see me write a fanfic... here it is, surprise. This is sort of my attempt to see if I can force myself to write through a full-length fanfic in its entirety. Expect lots of shounen cliches and formulaic writing, they're there on purpose. My official disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, or Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds. With the exception of the first series and the GX manga, I am not at all sorry to admit this. While I do not have a trademark on any character or fake card featured here, I do reserve the right as their creator to make your life a living hell if you steal them, claim them as your own, or touch them in a way or place that feels uncomfortable. This fanfic is set in an Alternate Universe of sorts- for reference purposes, see manga canon, with one slight difference- Pegasus did not die after DM. Why am I doing this? Because I can.)_

_First Game: Lionheart! The Fierce Lion of the East is Here!_

The stadium was large. More than five thousand spectators were jammed into the seats, eagerly awaiting the exhibition match that was about to take place. The tournament was still a few weeks away and official teams hadn't even been announced yet, but this match would set the pace for this year's professional dueling season- particularly the famed Kaiser Cup.

The match commentator cleared his throat. "…Are the cameras in position, Hank?"

A man dressed in a business suit sitting next to the commentator nodded. "We're rolling already."  
The commentator grinned. "Time to warm up the crowd, then."

He pressed a button near the microphone sitting in front of him. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO TODAY'S EXHIBITION MATCH!"

A sudden roar filled the arena as thousands of fans began screaming their approval. The commentator and his companion were suddenly very glad that the windows of the commentator's box they were seated in dampened sound. The commentator took a deep breath and continued. "BY THE POPULAR REQUEST OF YOU, THE DUELING FANS OF AMERICA, WE'VE SELECTED TWO REAL CROWD-PLEASERS AS OUR OPENING DUELISTS FOR THIS YEAR'S EXHIBITION MATCH! THE HOT-BLOODED LION OF THE EAST WILL BE FACING A NEW ENTRANT INTO THE PRO CIRCUIT, THE GRIM REAPER HIMSELF! PLACE YOUR BETS, FOLKS!"

* * *

Just outside the burning lights of the stadium, in a dark hallway, one of those two duelists was leaning against the wall, his eyes shut, waiting for the people outside to call his name.

His appearance was certainly distinct. The vaguely almond-shaped eyes and his skin tone were evidence of his Asian ethnicity, but his short, unkempt hair was a flaming, Irish red. While he was lean and muscular, he didn't have much in the way of height. His clothing seemed calculated to appear somewhere between casual and eccentric- aside from the duel disk on his left arm, he was dressed in a simple red t-shirt and a pair of khaki slacks that showed considerable wear. A pair of black sunglasses, too small to be of any practical use, was perched on his nose, and a silver bangle of some sort dangled from his right wrist.

Footsteps echoed around the hallway. He turned to face a tall man dressed in a business suit whose black hair had been pulled into a short ponytail. The red-haired man grimaced. "…Cole, you sure about this?" His English contained only the barest hint of an accent.

The man in the business suit raised an eyebrow. "A case of the nerves, Kaito? That's not usual for you."

The Asian shook his head. "I'm not nervous. Anything this Reaper guy can throw at me I can beat. What I want to know is why you're so gung-ho about this."

Cole answered with silence. The red-haired man decided to elaborate. "Last year you went on and on and _on_ about making sure we didn't tip our hand too early. You turned down every challenge to a pre-season match so that when singles started, nobody would know about my deck. So why is it suddenly okay to have everyone staring at me now? Why do you want me to show my hand so early?"

Cole sighed. "Kaito, you're thinking about the past. Last year you were an unknown enrolled in a singles event. We could afford secrecy then. We wanted to build your reputation as a duelist slowly, make you look like you were emerging from nowhere this year. Now that you're ready for the Kaiser Cup, you need a team. And if we want people to consider forming a team with you, we need to advertise you."

Kaito smirked. "…Lion of the East, huh? Don't suppose you came up with that title?"

Cole smiled back. "Seemed fitting. Actually, one of your fans came up with it. I just helped popularize it a little."

Suddenly, the Commentator's voice lifted over the voices of the crowd again. "WILL THE DUELISTS PLEASE COME OUT TO CENTER STAGE?"

Cole nodded. "That's your cue, Kaito."

Kaito acknowledged his companion by standing up, yawning, and stretching. "…Grim Reaper, huh? He wouldn't play undead by any chance, would he?"

"That's zombies, and maybe," Cole replied. "Why do you ask?"

Kaito shrugged. "Just… I've played newbies with zombie decks plenty of times before today. If he runs something else though, this might just be an interesting duel."

Cole chuckled. "Don't be too ruthless out there, Shishio."

Kaito walked towards the door and responded without turning his head. "We'll see about that, Matthews."

* * *

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE DUELISTS HAVE ARRIVED ON THE FLOOR! ON THE LEFT, THE MYSTERIOUS PRO RUMORED TO HOLD THE KEY TO ABSOLUTE VICTORY… THE GRIM REAPER!"

The crowd roared as a man dressed in an outlandish costume calmly walked into the duel arena. He doffed his violet top hat and bowed to the crowd before placing it back atop his head. Like many professionals his outfit was calculated to appear eccentric- a violet suit, complete with white kid gloves. He leaned on a cane topped with a silver skull head.

"ON THE RIGHT… THE JAPANESE EXPATRIATE WITH A BURNING HEART AND BOUNDLESS AMBITION! GIVE IT UP FOR… KAITO SHISHIO!"

Kaito walked into the arena nonchalantly, waving to the crowd as he took his position. He smiled at his opponent, giving him a good view of his extra-large canines. "So I hear you're new to the pro leagues?"

The man who called himself the Grim Reaper shook his head. "I'm not an unskilled duelist, if that is what you're asking. Dueling is a hobby of mine- I take it up periodically. You have the misfortune of being my first opponent the year I decided to make a career of it."

Kaito shook his head. "Heh. From the way I see things, it's only my misfortune if you're a weak opponent."

The Reaper's eyebrow twitched involuntarily. "Oh?"

Kaito grinned. "If there's one thing that I can't stand it's a boring duel."

"DUELISTS, STANDBY READY!"

Kaito held out his duel disk- the device had been spray-painted gold at some point in the past, and a small lion's head had been carved into the graveyard slot. "Duelist ready!" he shouted as he inserted his deck. The duel disk came to life, holo-generators glowing as they released a small pulse of golden light- Kaito's personalized activation effect. The auto-shuffler whirred, randomizing his cards.

The Reaper held up his own duel disk in return- a standard model, with no special additions. "Duelist ready," he replied, as if already bored by the formalities. He waved a hand, seemingly producing his deck from thin air, then inserted it into the disk, which hissed and released a small cloud of holographic fog as it whirred to life.

"BOTH DUELISTS ARE AT THE READY, FOLKS! LET'S GIVE THEM A COUNTDOWN TO THE BEGINNING OF THIS MATCH. READY? FIVE!"

The crowd picked up the commentator's chant. "FOUR!"

"THREE!"

"TWO!"

"ONE!"

Kaito and The Reaper shouted their challenge at the same time. "LET'S DUEL!"

Both duel disks beeped as a robotic voice piped up. "DICE ROLL"

The center panel of both duel disks lit up, displaying a six-sided die. Kaito's had four spots showing, while the Reaper's had only two.

"SHISHIO WINS THE OPENING DICE ROLL! HE MUST NOW DECIDE WHICH PLAYER WILL MAKE THE FIRST MOVE! IN A MATCH BETWEEN PROS, EVEN THE SMALLEST DECISIONS ARE SOMETIMES CRITICAL."

Kaito rolled his eyes. "… I'll take the first play."

"SHISHIO HAS INDICATED THAT HE WILL TAKE THE FIRST MOVE! A BOLD STANCE, AS EXPECTED FROM THE LION OF THE-"

* * *

From his seat in the manager's room, Cole watched the match via closed-circuit television and massaged his temples. "…Good Lord… does that man ever shut up?"

"Ah, Matthews! There you are!"

Cole looked away from the set in time to see a tall, blonde man dressed in a pinstriped suit walk into the room. "Thomas Lawrence, I presume?"

The blonde man scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Ah, that's right; we've only ever communicated over the phone, haven't we? I forgot that you wouldn't be able to recognize me on sight."

Cole sighed, returning his attention to the screen. "It's perfectly fine, Mr. Lawrence. Have you given my offer any thought?"

Lawrence stroked his chin. "…Let's just say that I'm still thinking it over. The Kaiser Cup is the largest team-oriented dueling event in America currently, and this will be my client's entry into professional dueling. I want to make sure that the team he'll be joining is one that will be beneficial for his career."

Cole nodded. "Fair enough. That's why I asked you to attend tonight- I thought you might enjoy watching my client duel."

Lawrence sat down next to Cole. "So, care to tell me anything else about your client?"

Cole shook his head. "All I really can tell you is that his name is Kaito Shishio, he's currently living here in New York as an expatriate, and he intends to enter the Kaiser Cup this year."

Lawrence shook his head. "That's common knowledge, Matthews. Can you tell me anything else about him? Personality, dueling skill, that sort of thing?"

Cole smiled. "Well, I suppose I could tell you more about him, but I think in this case you should simply watch the match. That should answer all your questions about him."

Lawrence nodded. "Well then, let's see it."

* * *

Kaito surveyed his six card hand. "…Right… Well, no use not taking the initiative! I summon Vorse Raider!"

A half-human, half-beast carrying a lethal-looking two bladed weapon appeared on Kaito's field, licking its lips greedily. (1900/1200)

The Reaper raised an eyebrow. "I may be new to professional dueling, Mr. Shishio, but I was under the impression that monsters as old as your bestial friend there had been relegated to binders and private collections by now."

Kaito grinned cheekily. "You need to get out more, then. I'll set a card and end my turn."

"SHISHIO HAS MADE A BOLD FIRST MOVE, SUMMONING A POWERFUL MONSTER IN ATTACK POSITION! HOW WILL HIS OPPONENT COUNTER THIS PLAY?"

_Please just shut up… _Kaito thought to himself, sighing.

If the Reaper noticed that the expression on Kaito's face was something akin to a small child being offered a plate of Brussels sprouts, he didn't comment. "My turn, draw."

He surveyed Kaito's field, then selected two cards from his hand. A horizontal card appeared in front of him, then a vertical one behind it. "I believe setting one card to each zone and ending is common here in the pro leagues, yes?" he asked, almost mockingly.

Kaito smiled. "…For the usual pro, yeah. My turn, draw!"

He noted the monster he had just drawn and whistled. "I summon Gene-Warped Warwolf to the field, in attack position!" A burst of golden light appeared to the left of Vorse Raider and a white-furred creature rose from it. The four-armed werewolf howled hungrily, as Kaito's supporters in the crowd let out a massive cheer. (2000/100)

"IT'S HIS SECOND TURN, AND SHISHIO HAS SUMMONED ONE OF HIS TRADEMARK MONSTERS, GENE-WARPED WARWOLF! WITH TWO THOUSAND ATTACK POINTS, THIS MONSTER IS THE STRONGEST LEVEL FOUR IN THE GAME WITH NO ASSOCIATED DRAWBACKS!" The commentator yelled over the crowd's roar. Kaito's monster, meanwhile, simply stared hungrily at Kaito's opponent and licked its lips.

The Reaper stared back, nonplussed. "A second normal monster. Am I to understand this is a running theme with your deck, then?"

Kaito shrugged. "You're free to understand whatever the hell you want. This is my duelist's way. Isn't that right?" he roared, his last comment addressed to his supporters in the crowd, who responded with a loud cheer.

The Reaper shook his head. "A simple beat-down duelist. A pity, I was hoping to duel somebody who was a little more creative."

"Or someone who you could turtle up against without fear of being overrun," Kaito retorted as he pointed at one of his opponent's set cards. "Vorse Raider, attack the opponent's set monster! _Bloodlust Howl!_"

The grinning fiend threw back its head in a howl and charged the set monster, raising its twin-bladed weapon above its head and bringing it down. The monster appeared- a massive turtle with a pyramid on its back. The blade crashed through the stones of the pyramid, totally annihilating the monster.

"…Your play was a bad one," The Reaper remarked. "My Pyramid Turtle allows me to summon any zombie-type monster from my deck when it is destroyed, so long as the summoned monster has less than two thousand defense points! Come forth, Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower!"

A tower of bones shot from the ground. Kaito glanced at it in surprise. "You brought that thing out?" (400/1500)

"SOUL-ABSORBING BONE TOWER HAS BEEN SUMMONED!" the commentator roared. "THIS MONSTER HAS THE ABILITY TO SEND TWO CARDS FROM THE TOP OF THE OPPONENT'S DECK TO THE GRAVEYARD EVERY TIME A ZOMBIE TYPE IS SPECIAL SUMMONED! HOWEVER, SUMMONING IT NOW MAKES NO SENSE- SHISHIO'S WARWOLF HASN'T ATTACKED YET! JUST WHAT IS THE REAPER UP TO?"

Kaito frowned. "…For once I agree with that windbag," he said, pointing to the column of bones that had risen up on the Reaper's field. "And since there's only one real way to find out… Gene-Warped Warwolf, direct attack! _Four-Direction Claw!_"

The werewolf charged, howling hungrily. Just as it prepared to bring down its claws on the man in purple, however, it was repelled by a shockwave. Suddenly, both of Kaito's monsters were blown backwards, forced into crouching positions. "I activate the effect of Windstorm of Etaqua," The Reaper said. "This card will force all monsters you control to switch their battle position. In this case, all of your monsters are now changed to defense position. I believe I have just removed your claws for now, Mr. Shishio."

Kaito grinned cheekily. "Then try and pull my fangs, 'Grim Reaper'!"

"AND SHISHIO'S EARLY OFFENSIVE LEAD IS COUNTERED! NOW THE REAPER HAS COMPLETELY REMOVED HIS OPPONENT'S MOMENTUM- THE DUEL IS SOLIDLY IN HIS CONTROL!"

* * *

Lawrence laughed. "Looks like your client will be taking a rather hard hit next turn, eh, Matthews?"

Cole simply watched the screen, unconcerned. "Tell me, Mr. Lawrence, who else are you considering as sponsors for your client?"

Lawrence stopped laughing and stroked his chin for a moment before giving an answer. "I2's international branch has offered to sponsor him, obviously, and we got at least two offers from Square-Enix."

Cole raised an eyebrow. "They're still around? I thought Kaiba Corporation had totally dominated the gaming market by now."

Lawrence chuckled. "There's a rumor flying around that Kaiba bought them up."

Cole nodded sagely. "How did your client react to these offers?"

Lawrence shrugged. "He said I2's given him enough help and he wants to get started on his own as much as he possibly can. As for Square Enix, he said he might consider it if they made a public apology for releasing Advent Children."

Cole couldn't help laughing. "Your client's a bit eccentric, isn't he?"

"He's a gamer," Lawrence replied stoically.

-----------------

Kaito ignored the commentator's announcement. "I'll end my turn here… now try and throw something at me that I haven't seen before, 'Grim Reaper'!"

The Reaper reached for his deck, preparing to make his draw, and then stopped. "Could you repeat yourself?"

Kaito frowned. "I told you to throw something at me I haven't seen before. You think I'm totally new to this? Your Bone Tower strategy is probably older than I am. You want me to acknowledge you as the Grim Reaper? Fine, then hit me with something I haven't seen before!"

The Reaper's scowl grew deeper. "…Impudent… you're already sure you'll win, aren't you? Only a fool underestimates the Grim Reaper! Draw!"

The Reaper revealed his latest draw. "I activate Everliving Underworld Cannon!"

Kaito stared as a gigantic cannon rose up behind his opponent, apparently built entirely out of skulls. "…Heh. Bringing out the big guns already? You must be desperate to get rid of me, Reaper."

His opponent paid no attention to his comment. "I summon Gozuki, in attack position!"

A gigantic bull demon appeared beside the bone column, holding a massive hammer. (1700/800)

The Reaper rifled through his deck, selecting a card. "By the effect of Gozuki, once per turn a zombie-type monster is sent from my deck to the graveyard. I select Plaguespreader Zombie!"

The bull demon swung its hammer, crushing an image of the selected monster.

"Next, the effect of my zombie activates… Plaguespreader Zombie revives from the graveyard provided I return a card from my hand to the top of my deck!"

Kaito frowned as a groaning monster, stitched together from the corpses of various creatures, rose up on The Reaper's field. (400/200)

"Now… by the effect of my Cannon, I inflict eight hundred points of damage to your life points, and my Tower will send the top two cards of your deck to the graveyard!"

The cannon fired, releasing a gigantic skull-shaped bullet. At the same time, two skeletal hands reached up and snatched cards from the top of Kaito's deck. He brought up his arms to defend himself from them, instinctively. (Kaito LP: 4000-800= 3200)

The Reaper grinned. "I believe I saw a monster enter your graveyard… now, prepare yourself. The field of the dead, Zombie World, activates!"

Suddenly, the dueling field changed. Dead trees surrounded the arena, hedging both players in. Kaito noted the skeletons protruding from the ground. "…Typical undead player," he muttered.

The Reaper snapped his fingers. "…Since I believe there is now a monster in your graveyard, I will tune Plaguespreader Zombie and Gozuki together!"

The zombie moaned and grabbed at its body. Pulling violently, it managed to rip a small hole in its stomach. Hundreds of holographic flies flew from the opened wound, transforming into two rings which hovered over the duel arena. The bull demon transformed into four glowing stars that hovered between the rings. The Reaper began to chant, as the rings expanded outwards. _"__Under the stars, rotting flesh transforms into a force of sheer destruction! There can be no escape from this devilish plague! Synchro summon… Rise from your grave, Doomkaiser Dragon!"_

Kaito pulled back as skeletal hands shot from the ground again, pulling two more cards from his deck. Something clicked as he noticed the art on one of them, and he grinned. "Bring on your dragons, Reaper- it'll take more than that to stop me!"

A column of light exploded from amid the rings and a gigantic, rotting dragon emerged, roaring a challenge. (2400/1500)

"THE REAPER HAS SUCCESSFULLY SYNCHRO SUMMONED DOOMKAISER DRAGON AND ACTIVATED ZOMBIE WORLD! AS MOST PLAYERS KNOW, THE EFFECT OF ZOMBIE WORLD CHANGES ALL MONSTERS IN THE GRAVEYARD AND ON THE FIELD TO ZOMBIE-TYPES, MEANING THAT DOOMKAISER DRAGON CAN NOW SPECIAL SUMMON ANY MONSTER OF SHISHIO'S FROM THE CEMETERY! THIS IS A PAINFUL REVERSAL!"

The Reaper smirked. "I believe our friend in the commentator's box has explained my monster's effect for me. I summon your Gladiator Beast Andal from the cemetery!"

Kaito grimaced as the ground next to the massive dragon split open and his monster crawled out- a large, armored bear, covered in dirt and surrounded by a glowing green aura. "…Tch…" (1900/1500) Suddenly, two more cards were snatched from his deck.

"Now… prepare yourself, 'Lion of the East'! This duel shall end with your defeat!" The Reaper declared, twirling his cane and pointing it at Kaito. "Gladiator Beast Andal, attack his Vorse Raider! _Crushing Fist!_"

Kaito winced as his monster brought up its blade to defend itself- a moment too late. The armored fist of the bear collided with Vorse Raider's face, shattering the monster like glass.

"Next," The Reaper declared, "Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower will attack your Gene-Warped Warwolf! _Soul Eater!_"

A strange mist rose from the tower, and Kaito's werewolf howled once before it was completely absorbed into it. When the mist cleared, Kaito realized his field was wide open.

The Reaper smirked. "I believe you have no further defenses… Doomkaiser Dragon! Attack my opponent directly! _Undead Plague!_"

Kaito managed to raise his duel disk just in time to block the green flames that washed over him, forcing him to take a step back. (Kaito LP: 3200-2400=800)

"…Now do you see why I'm called the Grim Reaper?" The Reaper laughed. "There are three major win conditions in Duel Monsters- burning the opponent's life points with direct damage, whittling away with battle damage, and destroying the opponent's deck. My deck can win with all three! You've already lost Heavy Storm and Mystical Space Typhoon to my milling, and if either of us special summons a monster, this game will end in your defeat! How do you counter _that_, Lion of the East?"

"THE REAPER TAKES THE LEAD AND ISSUES A BOLD CHALLENGE TO SHISHIO! HOW WILL HIS OPPONENT RESPOND?"

"Draw," Kaito declared. He glanced at his latest card, and then pointed at his opponent. "…Did you think this was going to impress me?"

The Reaper's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"A deck that can swarm, mill and burn all at the same time- you think that's new? You think that's unique? I've seen amateurs with zombie builds that have backed me into tighter corners than this!" Kaito taunted. "And you call this a swarm? You've got one mediocre attacker, one monster that you stole from me, and a useless tower that has to cower behind them if you want it to survive the turn."

The Reaper scowled. "Such impudence!" he growled. "As long as this land of the dead is in play, there is no way for me to lose this duel! Your special summons are sealed by my cannon, and your tribute summons will be prevented by my field spell! With a deck full of normal monsters, you can't hope to overcome me!"

Kaito grinned. "Hey, Reaper, take a good look at the bones in the graveyard of this field spell of yours. Notice anything about them?"

The Reaper found himself scanning the dark arena he'd created. "What are you talking about?"

Kaito's grin took on an almost feral quality. "Didn't you notice? There are no lion skeletons."

Kaito's fans roared in approval.

----------------

"Is that part of the act, or does he really talk like that?" the blonde-haired man asked.

Cole glanced away from the screen. "What?"

"That speech. Does he really talk like that?"

Cole shook his head. "No, but it's not part of the act either. He enjoys saying things like that. Wrote all his own synchro speeches too."

The blonde-haired man whistled. "Must make your job easier when you don't have to worry about making your client look cheesy."

Cole shook his head. "Mmm, you'd think that, wouldn't you?" He looked his companion in the eye.

"Lawrence, explain something to me, if you don't mind?"

"Eh?"

"...Is your client at all interested in our offer?"

Lawrence stared at the screen. "…I won't lie. He's very interested, actually. He sent me here to confirm one thing."

Cole motioned for him to continue. "And that thing was?"

"…He wanted to know if the Lion of the East actually enjoyed his job."

Cole nodded. "I think you'll have the answer in a moment."

------------------

The crowd seemed to hold its breath as Kaito surveyed the contents of his hand. Then the red-haired duelist laughed, revealing the identity of his latest draw to his opponent. "I activate this spell card- Swing of Memories!"

Suddenly, a rustling breeze filled the air, along with the sound of laughing children.

The Reaper growled. "What the hell are you doing? Since Zombie World will cause your monster to be treated as a zombie, your life points will be-"

Kaito grinned. "I guess I should thank your half-assed mill strategy for dumping this card to the graveyard, Reaper… I summon my burning soul to the field! Come out, Master of the Underdog!"

The cannon charged and fired… but at the last second, the skull like bullet reversed direction and slammed into the Reaper, causing him to bring up his arms as a shield and knocking off his top hat. "…What?" (The Reaper LP: 4000-800= 3200)

Kaito pointed to his trap card, now face up, which had created a large barrier between him and his opponent's cannon. "Reflect Nature- a trap card that causes all of your effects that cause damage to rebound on you! That deals with your burn strategy for the round, doesn't it, Mr. Grim Reaper? " He asked mockingly.

"THIS IS IT! SHISHIO IS DOWN TO HIS LAST FEW LIFE POINTS, BUT HE'S SUMMONING HIS ACE TUNER TO THE FIELD! WILL THIS UNIQUE MONSTER LEAD HIM TO VICTORY YET AGAIN?"

A burning flame shot into the air next to Kaito before shaping itself into a lion's head. The lion then broke apart, revealing a man with long, brown hair wearing a bandana and a green vest. The man smirked, his actions mimicking Kaito's. (1400/1000)

The Reaper frowned. "An effect monster… you shouldn't have been able to summon that using Swing of Memories!"

Kaito wagged his finger. "Master of the Underdog has two effects- first, I can't use it to synchro summon unless all of the materials are normal monsters. As compensation, though, it's a level four tuner, and it's treated as a normal monster instead of an effect monster. Alright now, Reaper… you mentioned that you pulled my claws earlier? Well fair enough… now let me show you my fangs! I summon my second Gene-Warped Warwolf to the field!" A second four-armed werewolf appeared beside Kaito's tuner. Kaito grinned one last time and gave the order. "Gene Warped Warwolf! Master of the Underdog! Tuning!"

Suddenly, Master of the Underdog leaped into the air and screamed a battle cry as four giant green rings exploded from his body, surrounding him. Gene-Warped Warwolf howled once before being drawn into the rotating rings and transformed into four stars. Kaito began to chant. "_Burning spirit that rules the battlefield…_"

The first star touched the Master's vest, changing it into a white trench coat.  
_  
"Proud spirit that challenges the stars themselves…_"

The second star touched the warrior's legs, which became covered in silver armor.  
_  
"Now prepare to join this game!_"

The third star touched the warrior's left arm and transformed into a large shield, complete with a  
lion-headed crest.  
_  
"Raise your blade, master of all you survey…_"

The final star transformed into a broadsword, which the warrior gripped, gritting his teeth. Suddenly, a light filled the column created by the green rings, intensifying.  
_  
"Synchro summon!_ _Stand proud, King of the Underdog!_"

The column exploded, and Kaito's original monster had vanished. King of the Underdog stood on the battlefield proudly, calmly swinging his broadsword with one hand. The original street clothes Master of the Underdog had worn were replaced by white armor, and covered by the strangely regal trench coat. A golden circlet had replaced its bandana. Kaito grinned. (2800/1400)

The crowd went wild.

"THIS IS IT! SHISHIO HAS SUMMONED HIS ACE MONSTER, THE FEROCIOUS KING OF THE UNDERDOG!"

The Reaper growled. "…My Bone Tower's effect is still active… you've lost two cards from your deck for special summoning Master of the Underdog, and another two for your King!"

Kaito was unconcerned. "Yeah, and I'm about to lose two more. By the effect of King of the Underdog, I send one card from my hand to the graveyard to special summon any normal monster I've sent there! And since thanks to your tower I've sent ten cards from my deck there already, I'm pretty sure that… hah! Here it is!"

The Reaper continued scowling. "Your empty boasting doesn't fool me, Shishio. You may have evaded a loss this turn, but you cannot defeat me!"

The red-haired duelist held up his monster, ignoring his opponent. "Now get ready… I summon a monster powerful enough to battle the legendary white dragon on equal footing!"

The King of the Underdog plunged his broadsword into the ground, and a second spout of flames jetted up from it, morphing into the shape of a lion. The flames burned for a moment, before flickering away and revealing just what Kaito had summoned- a massive golden lion, with a mane of fire. "My most powerful monster! King of the Veldt!"

The lion roared, and the arena trembled. (3000/1800)

A flicker of nervousness crossed The Reaper's face for a moment then vanished. "Even if you attack with both your monsters, you won't cause enough damage to my life points to win the game… and next turn I'll use the power of my cannon to defeat you!"

Kaito's face was the picture of supreme confidence. "I don't plan on letting you have a next turn, Reaper. Gotta hand it to you- I wouldn't have been able to finish this duel so early if you hadn't been kind enough to stock my graveyard with everything I needed. Usually I have to do that the hard way. I equip King of the Underdog with Golden Soul Hammer!"

Suddenly, the King's sword transformed into a gigantic golden hammer, which began to shine with unearthly energy. The Reaper was forced to shield his eyes. "…That card…"

"When Golden Soul Hammer is activated, I remove one normal monster in my graveyard from the game. Then the monster I equip the hammer to inherits that monster's strength- specifically, half of its attack points!" Kaito shouted as he revealed a second King of the Veldt in his graveyard.

The King of the Underdog swung his new hammer experimentally as a golden aura surrounded him. (4300/1400)

"No… the Reaper hissed as he did the math in his head. "No! I was so close…"

"Go, King of the Underdog!" Kaito ordered as his monster raised the golden hammer. "_Crushing Soul!_"

The monster leaped into the air, bringing down its hammer on Doomkaiser Dragon.

The Reaper shielded his eyes as the giant hammer crashed down on his dragon's head. Cracks ran through the monster's body, and it exploded in a corona of golden light. (The Reaper LP: 3200- 1900= 1300)

"And with Doomkaiser gone, the monster you summoned with its effect vanishes too…" Kaito said as he pointed at Andal, who faded into nothingness. "…Now end this, Veldt King Leo! Crush his last monster… _Wrath of the Beast King!_"

The Reaper stared at his unprotected tower. "…No…"

The lion crashed into the tower, reducing it to powder.(The Reaper LP: 1300- 2600= 0)

"THIS IS IT! THE DUEL HAS ENDED! KAITO SHISHIO HAS PREVAILED, SNATCHING VICTORY FROM NEAR DEFEAT!"

Kaito smiled at his opponent. "A lion doesn't fear death- he meets it with all his strength and swats it aside."

The commentator said something, but the crowd drowned him out.

-----------------

Cole looked at his blonde-haired companion. "So, do you have your answer?"

The man looked at the screen as the cameras displayed a close-up of Kaito's face. "…I do," he said after a moment's pause. "…He really does love this game, doesn't he?"

Cole grinned. "I really couldn't have asked for an easier duelist to market in some ways. He really does love this job." He raised an eyebrow. "So, have you decided?"

"I think I have," the man replied as he offered a handshake to Cole. "I do believe my client and I would be honored to accept your invitation to join Mr. Shishio as his team members in the upcoming Kaiser Cup."

Cole's grin grew even wider. "Splendid."

Lawrence nodded. "I'll have to call him to confirm of course, but please go ahead and tell Shishio to expect our assistance."

Cole's smile became slightly crooked. "…Mr. Shishio will likely be out of touch tonight."

Lawrence raised an eyebrow. "Does he have a date?"

The black-haired manager sighed. "…No, but he won the duel, and he'll be celebrating."

Lawrence gave him a knowing wink. "Bar-hopping, eh?"

"Actually…"

---------------

Kaito felt a rush of cold air pass his face, chilling him to the bone. It was dead winter, and the temperature had fallen depressingly low. He clutched his coat tighter around himself. In the duel arena he might have thrown it off and shouted to the crowd that "the blazing heart of a lion keeps him warm even in the coldest glaciers". But this wasn't the arena, it was Times Square. Out here, he could relax- there were no opponents, no performances, and no reason not to take his time. He had turned his cell phone and pager off long before leaving the arena, so there was no chance of anyone interrupting.

"Shishio."

Kaito turned. He almost didn't recognize the man standing behind him without the suit he had been wearing in the arena. He was now dressed casually, albeit in all black. "...Reaper," he replied.

The Grim Reaper gave him a crooked smile. "Call me Creed."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Okay then, Creed… any particular reason you followed me out here? Swearing revenge on me? Giving me congratulations? What?"

Creed smiled, and Kaito couldn't shake the feeling at the night air was now two degrees colder than it had been. "Neither."

Kaito shrugged. "Then why did you follow me all the way out here?"

"Tell me, Shishio, if you knew ahead of time you were destined to lose a duel, would you play it?"

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"If you knew ahead of time that I was going to defeat you in there, would you have dueled anyway?"

Kaito smirked. "Yes."

Creed nodded. "In that case… farewell for now, Mr. Shishio. I hope we meet again soon." He extended a hand. Kaito reached out tentatively and shook it.

Suddenly, Kaito's world felt as if it had been inverted. A sudden ringing filled his ears, and he was conscious of a burning sensation surrounding his hand. He tried to move it, but Creed's grip was too strong.

The next moment, everything righted itself. Kaito blinked, trying to shake away the dizzy feeling. The burning sensation around his hand was gone. "…Creed, what the hell did you-" he began to ask as he looked up.

The man he had been talking with had vanished.

Kaito glanced at the palm of his hand. Somehow, a symbol had been burnt onto it- a lion, opening its jaws to roar. He felt a wave of euphoria wash over him.

Kaito looked up at the sky and began to laugh.

-------------

LIST OF FAKE CARDS:

**King of the Veldt  
**_Monster/Fire/Beast/8*  
_Atk 3000/ Def 1800  
_The embodiment of a hero's courage. He rules the savanna with iron claws._

**King of the Underdog  
**_Monster/Fire/Warrior/Synchro/Effect/8*  
_Atk 2800/Def 1400  
"Master of the Underdog + 1 or more non-tuners"  
This monster cannot be special summoned except by synchro summon. Once per turn, you can send one card from your hand to the graveyard to special summon one normal monster in the graveyard. You can only control one "King of the Underdog" at a time.

**Master of the Underdog  
**_Monster/Fire/Warrior/Tuner/4*  
_Atk 1400/Def 1000  
This monster is treated as a normal monster for the purpose of determining card effects. If this monster is used in a synchro summon, the other monster(s) must be normal monster(s). When this monster is destroyed as a result of battle, special summon one level four or lower normal monster from your deck (except "Master of the Underdog")

**Golden Soul Hammer**  
_Equip Spell  
_When this card is activated, remove a normal monster in the graveyard from play. The equipped monster gains Atk equal to half the Atk of the removed monster.


	2. Chapter 2

**Yu-Gi-Oh! Burning Red**

_Game Two: Team Hotbloods Formed! The Veteran and the Designer!_

_The sky was painted red as the sun set._

_He watched her walking up the steps- queen of the world, now. He always thought she would be. No- rather, he always knew she would be. She deserved it, too. This girl was now acknowledged as the strongest duelist in the world- the second player to hold that title since the king had stepped down._

_She turned to say something to him, and when he saw the expression of contempt on her face, his heart nearly broke._

_Then she smiled, and his world was completed again._

_He reached out to touch her outstretched hand-_

"ACHAN!"

Achan Smith was suddenly jolted out of his dream, the image of the girl and the sky fading into nothingness before he could grab them. He groaned slowly opening his eyes. To most people, being greeted by a floating, brown puffball of fur with gigantic adorable eyes and a pair of bat's wings would probably have seemed completely unnatural. To Achan, it was simply a normal part of his day. "…Mornin' Devi," he groaned as he felt his bearings return to him. "…Why are you waking me up so early?"

"_Early? We're nearly there, idiot! The plane is landing!"_ The puffball moved back, giving Achan some room to back up and attempt to smooth out his hair.

Achan pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt, covering the mass of red hair perched atop his head that jutted out in a strange starfish-like shape. He glanced out the window at the approaching airport. "New York…" he muttered.

"_Remember, this Shishio guy is a pro! You have to make a good impression, or he might reconsider his offer!_" the puffball fussed.

Achan yawned and continued to look out the window, marveling at how the structures on the ground looked like a detailed model from the air. "…I had a dream about her again, Devi."

The puffball paused. _"Her?_"

"The girl I told you about." Achan sighed, adjusting his jacket. "…Wonder how she's doing right now? I dreamed pro dueling got boring for her, so she switched over to business management…"

Devi's eyes narrowed. _"Achan, whatever these dreams you're having are, they never actually happened. You know that, right?"_

Achan shrugged. "Well, when we met you told me that this world is one of many. As far as I know, there could be tons of other realities. And maybe in one of those realities, she and I met and fell in love after all."

The puffball jiggled up and down in mid-air as he snickered. _"Figures- an alternate universe is the only place _you _could get a girl._"

"WHY YOU-!"

The passengers on flight 34 from Virginia to New York were startled when a young man in his late teens suddenly began snatching at thin air and threatening to "rip the wings off" a companion who didn't exist.

* * *

"…Urrgh."

Kaito's entire body ached, and his thoughts seemed clouded and fuzzy. He dimly wondered if he had been hit by a passing car. He tried to piece together what had happened. Slowly, memories began to return. The duel last night. He had been dueling a guy named Reaper. No, the guy's name had been Creed. He couldn't remember whether Creed was his first name or his last name. He had gone out for a walk and met that guy. They'd shaken hands. And then…

Everything came rushing back- the handshake, the strange design on his hand, and the bizarre feeling of euphoria he'd experienced immediately afterwards. Kaito sat bolt upright and shouted in surprise.

As he opened his eyes, he realized the world still seemed a little blurry, and he had a splitting headache. He wondered if whatever had happened to him last night was causing some side effects. Finally, the room around him fell into a recognizable order. He was sitting on a blue couch in what appeared to be a small but well-furnished apartment. He glanced around, groaning in pain. Alright then, he had somehow managed to end up in somebody's apartment. Just where the hell was he?

"Oh, you're awake."

The voice was low, harmonious, and most importantly- female. Even in his pain-dazed state, Kaito still reacted by immediately turning to face the woman.

She was younger than he'd expected- probably not out of her late teens yet. Her hair was cut to about shoulder length, and kept in place with a red headband, and her clothing was quite simple- a black sweater and blue jeans. It occurred to Kaito that if she weren't staring at him with an expression somewhere between amusement and near disdain, she'd probably be fairly pretty. "…Who're you…?" he groaned as he clutched his head, which still felt as if it was on the verge of splitting open.

"My name's Rachel," the girl replied, then paused for a moment. "Rachel Dorothy Wayne." Kaito noticed an unusual note of pride in her voice as she said her full name. "…Anyway, that should be my question. It's not often that I run into a guy collapsed on the street outside my apartment."

Kaito wasn't surprised by the news. "…So I collapsed, huh."

The girl nodded. "I don't know what you were doing last night, but it must have been some party."

Kaito was confused by the statement for a moment, but then something clicked. The girl thought he had been drunk. "…No, that's not it, I was…"

He stopped. What was he supposed to tell her? He'd run into a rookie pro who had given him a handshake that made him high?

"…I don't drink," he finished, conscious of exactly how lame he probably sounded.

The expression of bemused annoyance didn't leave Rachel's face. "Mmmhmmm. Well, I didn't call the cops and I figured you needed to sleep it off, so I brought you up here."

Kaito nodded and muttered "Thanks". He felt like somebody had taken a railroad spike and was pounding it into his head.

Rachel smirked. "Need a prairie oyster? I've got a friend near here who makes a good one. She's probably got some spare vodka too."

Kaito shook his head. "No… thanks…" he groaned. "I told you… I don't drink."

Rachel actually chuckled as he struggled to his feet. "Whatever you say… Mr. Shishio."

Kaito nearly jumped in surprise. "…How do you know my name? Are you a dueling fan or something?"

Rachel continued laughing and shook her head. "…Yeah, a little… I also found this in your pocket." She tossed a black, rectangular object to Kaito, who managed to bring up his hand in time to catch it.

He realized what it was almost instantly. "…You took my wallet?"

"Yep. Only thing that's missing from it is ten bucks for the use of my couch, and seven for the coffee you're probably going to want this morning," Rachel replied nonchalantly.

Several possible retorts flew through Kaito's head. In the end, all he finally managed was "Seven bucks for a cup of coffee?"

Rachel nodded, grinning. "I don't think you've got much of a choice. It's either that or I kick you out on the street with a hangover, or call the police and charge you with harassment. Your choice."

Kaito stared at the girl. "…You're the devil," he managed.

Rachel nodded sagely. "Yep."

* * *

Kaito managed to flash her a crooked grin. "...Well then, I hope you've got decent coffee."

"_So you're certain that we're not lost_."

"Absolutely positive," Achan muttered to his companion as he glanced up at a nearby skyscraper. "Mr. Lawrence said he'd meet us on Thirty-Fourth Street. That's where we are. He should be here any moment now."

The devil-winged Kuriboh simply shrugged its wings. _"...Maybe he's already here?"_

Achan sighed. "No clue. With a crowd like this I guess it's possible that we'd miss him…"

He scanned the crowd, searching for the blonde-haired manager, when something caught his eye.

Achan's face paled. That man standing by the corner, the blonde one in the black jacket- to anyone else he would have looked perfectly ordinary. But Achan knew this wasn't the case- and he also knew that somehow, the man knew that he had been noticed. Achan managed to shout "Hey, you!" just as the man smirked and began to run.

Devi hissed. _"Achan what the hell are you doing?_"

Achan shook his head, pointing after the fleeing man. "H-He… he… It's like he ate a duel spirit or something!"

Devi's already enormous eyes widened in disbelief. _"What did you just say?_"

Achan, however, was no longer standing around and waiting for the conversation to continue. He dashed after the man, hoping to catch up with him before he was completely lost from sight.

"Breakfast's ready."

Kaito glanced up from the couch at Rachel. He wasn't sure what to make of the strange girl- one minute she was going through his pockets and stealing his money, the next she was making him lay back down to rest his hangover while she made breakfast for the two of them. He thought it over for a moment and decided that whatever else she was, the girl had saved him from getting picked up by the cops last night, so it was probably best to humor her.

He managed to pull himself up to a sitting position again, glad that the pain in his skull was finally receding. "So, what's on the menu?"

"Sausage," Rachel replied curtly as she walked out of the kitchen bearing a plate in each hand. "I got a good price on some the last time I went shopping, so I figured I'd use it up now."

Kaito gratefully accepted the plate. "…Hopefully the sausage is better than the coffee," he teased, grinning. "I think you overcharged."

"Or you just don't appreciate good black coffee," Rachel quipped in response. She sat down on an ottoman and tossed Kaito a fork. If he hadn't caught it, it likely would have jabbed his eye out. "…So… Mr. Lion of the East, as long as you're enjoying my hospitality, I've thought of a way you can pay me back for breakfast."

Kaito nearly choked on a link of sausage. "…Ms. Wayne, is there anything here that _doesn't_ cost money?"

Rachel giggled. "Relax, I don't want to take your cash this time. I'm looking for information."

Kaito glared at her suspiciously. "I'm afraid that I don't quite follow."

Rachel smiled sweetly, and Kaito could have sworn that a demonic aura flared up around her for a moment. "You see, I'm a freelance photographer right now, but I do what I can to make ends meet, and papers pay a lot if you can bring them information about celebrities or popular figures. And you, Mr. Shishio, are a public figure."

Kaito groaned. "…You want to INTERVIEW me?"

Rachel's sweet smile transformed into a devilish grin. "No, not yet. For now I'm just going to ask you a few questions about your life. See, I figure… why stop with one interview? If I can get several and sell them to different papers after all…"

Kaito's jaw dropped. "I was kidding when I said you were the devil."

"I'm not a devil, I'm just a girl who knows how to exploit circumstances," Rachel corrected him, her face practically glowing with happiness.

It occurred to Kaito that he- the proud lion of the east- was being completely pushed around by a girl who probably wasn't two years out of high school. "…Forget it," he growled, standing up and laying his plate of sausage on the couch. "I have an appointment later today to meet some kid that my manager wants me to team with for the Kaiser Cup, I hate giving interviews, and you've already technically stolen my money. I'm not sticking around. Thanks for the sausage, switch coffee brands, bye." He strode to the door and prepared to open it and leave.

"Do you really think that's wise?"

Kaito turned slowly. The devil grin was back on Rachel's face. "What do you mean?" he demanded.

"…Well… if you just run off without giving me an interview I might be compelled to release some slightly less-than-flattering information I happen to have about you," the girl practically purred.

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "…What information?"

The devil grin was now something more like a shark's- _gotcha, no escape now_. "Oh… I could always tell some of the more reliable tabloids that the Lion of the East spent last night in the apartment of a certain nineteen year old photographer. I have photographic evidence of it, after all."

Kaito's jaw dropped. "…You wouldn't dare."

Rachel grinned coyly. "Hey, I sell stuff to tabloids; my dignity's pretty much gone as is. I don't have a lot to lose, and I bet I could make a lot of money if I gave the right people a chance to write some scandalous stuff about the American Pro League's latest media darling. That'd be you, Mr. Shishio." She giggled.

Kaito glared at her. "…You have no idea how much I hate you right now."

"I work for the tabloids, everyone hates me," Rachel replied nonchalantly. "Now, let's talk a bit about you…"

* * *

"_Achan! Achan, slow down!_"

Achan ignored the devil-winged Kuriboh and instead raced after the man in black. There was something wrong about that man, something very wrong. The man turned left, neither running nor walking- Achan slowly realized that the man was pacing himself. "…He wants me to follow?"

The man turned left into an alleyway, and Achan dashed after him. "Stop!"

They had reached the end. The man turned, and Achan pointed at him. "…What the hell are you?" he asked.

The man raised an eyebrow. "…Nice to meet you in person as well, Mr. Smith. You may call me Creed."

"…I didn't ask that," Achan growled. "…I asked what you were."

Creed glanced at Achan inquisitively for a moment, a puzzled expression on his face. After a moment his face brightened as if he had just realized something. "…Oh, I see… you're a seer, aren't you? That explains why he asked me to meet you here…" His voice trailed off.

Achan gritted his teeth in frustration. He didn't know who this man was, but he knew that he was being ignored. "…Yeah, I can see duel energy," he snarled. "Duel energy and anything that uses it. I want to know what you are. You've got human energy, but you're eating it like a spirit. Why? How? What are you?" He fired off his last three questions as if they were accusations.

Creed clicked his tongue. "…Watch your temper, young man. What I am is none of your concern, but I've been sent to deliver a message to you."

Achan felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. Devi floated beside him, shouting something incomprehensible, but he didn't care. "…Who sent you and what message?"

"…The sender asked to remain confidential, but the message is this." Achan stepped back in alarm as he realized that Creed had somehow crossed the distance between them instantly and was now a hair's breadth away from his face. "…You have been chosen to play a game with fate. If you win, you may do as you will. Lose and you lose control of your life." Creed grabbed Achan's wrist. "…The one who gave me this message has also sent you this gift, seer."

Achan screamed in pain as a burning situation ran up the length of his arm. He managed to twist it out of Creed's grip, though just barely, and brought up his palm. A design had been burnt into it- a wide-open eye with lines shooting off in every direction from it, as if it were giving off some sort of supernatural light. He heard Creed's laughter reverberating in his ears. In a blur of movement he whipped his right arm up, and the laughter stopped as he felt his fist smack into the strange man's jaw.

Creed stumbled backward and fell against the wall of the alley. "…Cheap shot…" he muttered. He stood up, dusting himself off as he glared at Achan. "…I see you're resistant to the after-effects of my abilities as well. One of the inherent risks of placing a mark like this on a seer, I suppose."

Achan didn't answer. He simply clenched his fists and assumed a rather clumsy boxing stance. "…Now answer my questions or I'll-"

Achan felt the world around him beginning to dissolve. Before he could ask what was happening, he was standing in the middle of Thirty-Fourth Street's sidewalk. The man he had been talking with had vanished completely. "…What the hell?"

Devi hovered next to the teenager's ear. "_He… I've never seen anything like that. He just pushed the space a little and slipped us through."_

"Achan! There you are!"

Achan turned to face the man he'd come to thirty-fourth street to meet. "Mr. Lawrence! I just ran into-"

The blonde-haired manager grabbed Achan's hand. "No time to waste, we're late already. Come now, let's go!"

* * *

Kaito glared at Rachel. She glared back. The two were sitting on opposite sides of the round table that Rachel had set up in her kitchen. Neither was giving an inch.

Finally, Kaito broke the deadlock of silence. "…I'm not answering that."

"…And I'm asking you why not," Rachel replied. "What's the big deal anyway? All I asked was 'why are you an expatriate?' Did you commit a crime in Japan or something? What?"

"It's nothing like that, but I have my own reasons for living here and not applying for citizenship and I'm not telling them to anyone who plans to sell them. If that's the case I'd rather just let you tell all the papers I spent the night with you." Kaito delivered the last statement with particular venom.

Rachel groaned. "…So unreasonably stubborn," she muttered. After a moment, she sighed and opened the notepad she had carried to the table with her. "…Alright if you're not going to answer that question, how about answering this one- where did that tattoo of yours come from?"

"Tattoo?" Kaito asked, confused.

"Your right hand, genius." Rachel rolled her eyes and pointed to it. "The roaring lion thing. That tattoo."

Kaito stared at the mark. Brilliant- what was he supposed to tell her now? "…Um… I just got this last night," he admitted. "I can't tell you how or why though."

"…Last night? How the hell is that possible?" Rachel stared at the tattoo. "I read online this morning that your match finished only three hours before you showed up here. If you're not going to tell me the truth then this interview's not going to go very smoothly."

Kaito blanched at the angry expression on her face. "…Um…"

Before he could begin to formulate an explanation, he was interrupted by an extremely cheerful tune. He glanced at his coat, which was lying on the couch- he'd left his cell phone in there and turned it on shortly after waking up. He gratefully crossed to the couch and answered the call. "Shishio speaking."

"_You're late. Smith and his manager are already on their way. Where are you?"_

Kaito groaned. As expected, it was Cole.

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Who's calling, your ex-girlfriend?"

Kaito covered the phone's receiver and shook his head. "Worse. My manager. I'm late." He uncovered the receiver and held the phone back up to his ear. "Cole? Hey, sorry I couldn't get back to you. That Reaper guy jumped me on the way out the stadium and did something to me- I think he might've drugged me. Right now this crazy girl's got me as her captive audience."

"_You spent the night with a girl? Please tell me you at least picked someone the tabloids won't go insane over."_

Kaito sighed. "…She IS the tabloids. I collapsed outside her house and she's threatening to tell the magazines I stayed over last night if I don't spill my guts."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment. When Cole spoke again, a deep note of disappointment was evident in his voice. "_Shishio, you've done a lot of stupid things. This one you deserve a prize for."_

"I told you, the guy drugged me!" Kaito snapped. "At least… I think he did, I don't know! One minute we're shaking hands and the next I'm in this girl's house and I don't know how I got there and I have this goddam mark on my hand and-"

Cole interrupted. _"Mark?_"

"Yeah, there's a tattoo on my right hand. Roaring lion. Cute, huh?" The last phrase was filled with as much venom as Kaito could muster.

There was silence on the end of the line again. "_Look, Kaito, I'm not in the mood for joking around. Just get down to BI headquarters, NOW."_

The hair on the back of Kaito's neck stood up. "I'll be right there."

"Not without me you won't," Rachel interrupted, shutting her notebook. "I'm not letting my meal ticket run away so easily- you understand, don't you?"

Kaito glared at her and returned to his phone call. "…Cole, my captor wants to come along. I don't think we can turn her down."

The sigh on the other end of the line was audible. _"Bring the girl too, but be careful. If the tabloids see you two leaving together it won't matter if she tells them you stayed the night or not. See you soon, Shishio."_

Kaito snapped the cell phone shut. "…That was my manager. The guy I'm teaming with for the Kaiser Cup just showed up. We're going to go meet him now."

Rachel stood up. "…That stuff you said about that guy drugging you…" she pursed her lips. "Did that stuff actually happen?"

"Yeah. I didn't even see him do it." Kaito shook his head. "One minute we're shaking hands, the next minute I'm on your couch complete with some new body art."

The girl shook her head. "Something's wrong here. Very wrong." She grabbed a shoulder bag that was hanging from a nearby chair and stuffed her notebook into it. "You go first. I'll follow up behind you. If you give me the wrong address, you know what'll happen."

The red-haired duelist's only response was to glare at her for a full thirty seconds before giving her the address and walking out the door.

* * *

Cole raised an eyebrow as Kaito finally entered the agreed-upon meeting point- a skyscraper that served as the corporate headquarters of Babylon International, a global company dedicated to selling just about everything, and Kaito's sponsor. "So, the Lion of the East finally makes his appearance. Where's the new girlfriend, Shishio?"

Kaito's snarled at him and said nothing; instead opting to sit down on an armchair opposite the one Cole was sitting in. "…So, where's this Smith guy?"

"Over there," Cole said, pointing to one of the large windows. Kaito looked up.

Kaito's first impressions of Achan were essentially the same as most people who met him. He was obviously in his late teens, somewhere in the nineteen-eighteen range, and while he wasn't much taller than Kaito he was certainly no giant. His skin seemed rather pale- perhaps he didn't spend enough time outside? The teenager turned from the window and adjusted the sleeves of the red sweatshirt he was wearing, which swallowed his hands each time he moved them, and pulled back his hood.

Kaito took one look at the rather unusual hairstyle and burst out laughing, which earned him a glance of disapproval from Cole. "…You know, that hairstyle was quite popular years ago," the manager remarked.

Kaito allowed his laughter to subside before answering. "…Yeah, I know the King of Games used to wear his hair like that but… but…"

Achan sighed. "…Don't worry about it," he muttered, "I'm used to the laughing. One of my co-workers bet me that I wouldn't dare get my hair cut like this before I went pro, and I took him up on it… I've been getting this reaction ever since then."

Cole glared at the two. "…If we're quite done, would you two please introduce yourselves to each other?"

Achan froze. "…Mr. Shishio?"

"Call me Kaito," the older man replied. "We're probably going to be teaming up for the Kaiser Cup, right?"

"…Right… um… Kaito…" Achan stared at him.

"…What? Have I got something in my teeth?"

Achan gulped. "…Um… er…"

"What my client would like to say is that he's been a big fan since you entered the professional dueling circuit and he'd love to form a team with you. Isn't that right, Achan?"

Kaito turned. Thomas Lawrence had stolen up behind his client, and was now offering the lion of the east a handshake. "I'm delighted to meet you as well, Mr. Shishio. My name is Thomas Lawrence, and I represent Mr. Smith's professional interests. I'm honored that you requested for us to form a team with-"

"…I never asked you to form a team with me," Kaito interrupted. "…As a matter of fact, I'm not sure I want to form a team with a kid who can't speak for himself." Kaito grinned in satisfaction at the expression of shock and horror that plastered itself across the manager's face. "I came here because Cole wouldn't shut up."

Lawrence whirled and glared at Cole. "…Matthews, I thought you said your client had invited us personally!"

The other manager shook his head and smiled a crooked smile. "I never made that claim. I said that Babylon International, Mr. Shishio's sponsor, wanted to invite you to team with my client during the Kaiser Cup and that he wasn't opposed to the idea. Mr. Shishio's opinions after meeting your client are not up to me to decide."

Lawrence was too flustered to say a word.

Achan, however, gritted his teeth. "…I can speak for myself just fine!" he snapped. "I was going to ask if you were a seer too. That's all!"

Kaito stared at the teenager. "…So the puppy has fangs after all," he teased. "As for being a seer, I have no clue what the hell that even is."

Achan sighed. "…Guess not… wait, puppy?" He glared at Kaito furiously. "Just because I'm a rookie pro doesn't mean you get to push me around!"

Kaito chuckled. "…You know, I could get to like you, kid. Tell you what… this has been a crappy day for me, and as team mates we'll be expected to know each other's cards. So if you want to earn my respect…"

"A duel?" Achan stared at Kaito. After a moment he managed to string together an articulate sentence. "I-I won't lose, then!"

* * *

Kaito stared at Achan. "…I know I said you could pick the location for our duel but… did you have to pick the roof?" He shivered in the chilling wind.

Achan grinned, even as his teeth chattered. "Oh, come on, we both know it's more awesome this way."

Kaito managed to restrain a chuckle. "True. Ready?"

Achan raised his duel disk, which whirred to life. Kaito noticed something about it- namely, it was a much older model, lacking the central hub that most duel disks now carried and instead displaying an old-fashioned life point counter. "Aren't you a little young to get nostalgic about a KC original?" he asked.

"Hey, this duel disk is an antique!" Achan protested. "There are collectors who'd pay out their nose to get their hands on something like this! Plus I like the design better, and it's way more comfortable on your arm than the newer models and-"

"Kid?"

Achan's flow of conversation stopped as Kaito interrupted him. "Yes?"

"…Less talk, more dueling." Kaito raised his right arm, and his duel disk activated.

Both combatants stared at each other for a moment, making eye contact without flinching. Finally, both voices rang out in unison. "DUEL!"

* * *

Rachel burst into the conference room of Babylon International breathlessly. "Sorry I'm late," she gasped, staring at the room's posh interior. "Had to sneak past a few damn security guards who didn't believe that Shishio had invited me here-"

"Frankly, I can't believe he did either. You must be the new girlfriend."

Rachel turned. Cole was sitting in the exact same armchair he had occupied when Kaito had entered the building earlier, his face displaying an expression somewhere between amusement and utter contempt. "You realize, Miss, that my client does not take kindly to extortion and neither do I."

"Fine by me," Rachel retorted. "You don't have to like me; you just have to put up with me. Now…"

She whipped out her notebook. "You're Shishio's manager, right? As long as I'm here, you can answer a few questions for me."

"I believe that I have a few that should be answered first, Matthews," Lawrence interrupted. "Why did you deliberately mislead me into thinking that Shishio was receptive to the idea of my client joining his team? I have to protest this treatment, and furthermore-"

Cole smirked. "Relax, Mr. Lawrence. Shishio's treatment of your client in no way indicates he doesn't want to team with him for the Kaiser Cup."

"Really now," Lawrence replied drily, obviously not accepting Cole's explanation.

"It's true. My client is a little… hands-on about assessing opposing duelists, however. I find it very likely that he's just testing the waters with your client, making sure that he's not about to be partnered with an incompetent duelist. Provided your client doesn't make an ass of himself when dueling, everything should work out," Cole replied placidly.

Rachel had the distinct impression that if Lawrence's eyes bugged out any more he'd look something like a Warner Brothers character. "B-But that's-"

"That's precisely the attitude that drew you to Mr. Shishio in the first place, isn't it? Don't complain." Cole sighed. "…Now, Miss…"

"Wayne," Rachel replied. "Rachel Dorothy Wayne. I have a few questions about your client, Mr. Matthews…"

* * *

"The challenger takes the first move," Kaito said as he pointed to Achan. "Show me your stuff, kid."

"…Alright then um… My turn! Draw!" Achan pulled a card from his duel disk, attempting to slash the card through the air dramatically.

Kaito sighed. "…No, not quite like that, kid. You have to control the motion or you end up showing the opponent your card. Try it again." He reached for his own deck and demonstrated the proper movement.

"So more like… this?" Achan mimicked the motion perfectly.

Kaito gave the teenager a round of mock applause. "Better. Now show me what you've got!"

"…Um… I summon… okay! Wandering Hero in attack position!" Achan fumbled with the card for a moment before placing it on his duel disk. A brilliant pillar of light appeared in front of him before fading and revealing a single figure dressed in leather armor and a flowing, green cape. The figure's most striking feature, however, was its hair- blonde and extremely spiky. Something about the monster seemed extremely familiar. (1700/1200)

Kaito's jaw dropped. "…Did you just summon Cloud Strife?"

Achan giggled. "Haha, you played that game too? It's pretty old now so once in a while I run into people who don't know him, but yeah, Cloud is the most awesome video game hero ever… so when I got asked to draw all the art for the Wandering archetype I couldn't resist adding a bunch of in-jokes and well, this is the-"

"Art?" Kaito stared at Achan. "Wait a minute, you mean you drew those cards?"

Achan giggled again. "Didn't Mr. Lawrence tell you? My last job was a concept artist for I2! I did the original art for a bunch of cards!"

Kaito managed to recover from his surprise. "…Either way, that was just… well…" he sighed. "I'm not going to lie, that summon was pathetic."

Achan grimaced. "Hey, just because this monster is from an archetype doesn't mean that I'm uncreative or-"

"No, no, not that, I mean the WAY you summoned him was pathetic," Kaito explained. "You're a duelist, right?"

Achan nodded. "…Yeeees?"

"And you want to prove how hot-blooded you are to me, right?"

"Yes?"

Kaito threw out his arms dramatically. "Then come on, show some spirit already!"

Achan stared. "…You really do act this way all the time, huh? Okay then… Wandering Hero's effect activates! _Equip Selection!_"

A number of holographic card images appeared in front of Achan. "Wandering Hero's monster effect allows me to send a monster card from my hand to the graveyard when he's summoned. In exchange, I select any equip spell from my deck and equip it to him. I send Wandering Fighter to the graveyard in order to equip Wandering Hero with Titan Sword!"

The Hero held up his hand, and light congealed into it, transforming into a massive double-edged broadsword nearly as large as the hero himself. "By this card's effect, my monster gains eight hundred attack points. In addition, monsters it destroys by battle will be sent to the bottom of the deck!" Achan explained as the Hero's attack points climbed. (2500/1200)

He reached into his graveyard slot and pulled out the monster he had discarded "Next, I activate the monster effect of Wandering Fighter. _Limit Charging!_"

A green aura surrounded Achan and a card popped out of his duel disk. He showed it to Kaito and then added it to his hand. "By Fighter's monster effect, I remove it from play to select a 'Limit Break- Raging Fist' and add it to my hand! Turn end!"

Kaito managed to grin. "NOW you're starting to act like a pro, kid. But now it's my turn… draw!" He looked at the contents of his hand. _Golden Soul Hammer… won't do me much good without monsters in the cemetery… need something that can hit over that Hero… ah, here we go! I've got it!_"

Kaito selected a card. "I summon Vorse Raider, in attack position!" A portal opened in front of him and the bestial monster leaped out, licking its blade hungrily. (1900/1500)

"Next, I'll set one card and end my turn." Kaito grinned menacingly as the card appeared behind his monster. "Your move, kid."

"Draw!" Achan snatched the card from the top of his deck, this time performing the dramatic slashing motion correctly. He glanced at it. "…You're not going to fool me just because I'm a rookie, Kaito! I activate the quickplay spell card Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying your set card!"

As the swirling tornado flew towards the set card, Kaito took a fighting stance. "Chain trap! Threatening Roar!"

As the card flipped up and shattered, Kaito took a deep breath and shouted. The noise reverberated across the arena, causing Wandering Hero to lose its balance and drop its sword. The monster humorously struggled to pick it up as Achan made a face. "Damn, blocking me from attacking? I was hoping it would be a defensive trap…"

Kaito chuckled. "Oh come on, like the Lion of the East wouldn't have a roar. Now let's see what you can do without punching me in the face!"

"I-I can still damage your field though!" Achan declared, selecting a monster in his hand. "Snipe Hunter in attack position!"

A purple-skinned imp appeared in front of the duelist, pointing a gun with a six-numbered spinner mounted on it at Kaito's Vorse Raider. (1500/600)

"Snipe Hunter's effect activates! I send one card from my hand to the graveyard and roll a die to see if it's successful! I send Wandering Beast…" Achan slipped another monster card from his hand into the graveyard, and then pointed his finger into the air. "_Death Roulette!_"

The spinner on Snipe Hunter's gun whirled, finally stopping on a six. The gun fizzled, but refused to fire. "…Well, damn," Achan muttered. "Um… let's try that again! I remove Wandering Beast from my graveyard to activate its monster effect. _Limit Charging!_"

The same green glow surrounded Achan as he revealed yet another spell card. "Limit Break- Earth Rave!"

Just as quickly as he had added the cards to his hand, he slid a third card into the graveyard. "Now I'll send Wandering Mage from my hand to the graveyard, and activate Snipe Hunter's effect one more time! _Death Roulette!"_

The dial spun again, this time landing on a four. Achan laughed. "Alright, now we're talking! Snipe Hunter, obliterate his monster! _Death Sniping!_"

A purple beam of light lanced out, piercing through Vorse Raider's chest, and the monster exploded. Achan pumped his fist in celebration. "Yeah, I-"

"Don't celebrate until you win," Kaito interrupted. "First rule of the pro leagues. Your turn done, kid?"

Achan sighed and nodded. "…Yes…"

"Good. My turn, draw!"

Kaito glanced at his hand and surveyed his opponent's field. _It's odd… during this entire duel he's gone out of his way to add cards to his hand. Those spell cards… from what I saw of the text, each of them requires the monster he removed to search for them in the first place to be on the field to meet their activation conditions. Snipe Hunter is obviously a big part of his strategy since he can instantly recharge his hand from his shots, and his other cards likely take advantage of his large hand size too… but why is he going out of his way to collect new spells instead of using up the ones he's already searched for? It's like he's filling his hand with useless cards on purpose… and to top it off, it's been two turns and still no traps!"_

He glanced at the contents of his own hand. _Well, let's see if I can't beat the answers out of him!_

"I summon Storm Hound in attack position!" Kaito declared. A thunderbolt stuck the rooftop in front of him. However, rather than dissipating, the crackling energy reshaped itself into a large, aggressive Siberian husky made entirely from lightning. The monster howled a challenge at the Wandering Hero, who had finally managed to pick up his sword again. (1500/1200)

Achan stared at the monster. "Fifteen hundred attack points… and an effect monster? I thought they weren't your style!"

Kaito grinned cheekily. "A lion like me makes his own style! Storm Hound's monster effect activates- during my turn I can send up to two normal monsters from my deck to the graveyard. For each monster sent to the graveyard in this way, Storm Hound's attack points increase by three hundred until the end of the turn! _Gathering Storm!_"

The static electricity that made up Storm Hound's body lanced out as Kaito revealed two cards- King of the Veldt, and a level two monster. He slipped both into his duel disk's graveyard slot as the attack points of Storm Hound increased. (2100/1200)

Achan glared at the hound. "It's still not strong enough to beat my Hero, though!"

"I activate Swing of Memories," Kaito shouted, pointedly ignoring this declaration, "And I target Twin Sprits from my graveyard!"

Suddenly, a pair of pink stars that endlessly circled each other joined Storm Hound. Kaito grinned. "These two are my second tuner." (500/500)

Achan counted levels. "…Level two plus level four… you can't synchro summon King of the Underdog…"

"In the pro leagues you can't rely on a single monster for victory, kid," Kaito replied, still obviously enjoying himself. "I tune my level two Twin Spirits to my level four Storm Hound!"

The stars leaped into the air before spiraling together in a double-helix shape and creating a pair of green, glowing rings. Storm Hound leaped through, transforming into four shining stars. Kaito began to chant. "_Human form, lion's heart! Defend the weak, protector of chivalry! Synchro summon! Charge forward bravely, Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth!_"

A column of light swallowed the stars and rings, and a mounted horseman charged out carrying two immense lances. (2600/800)

Achan stared at the monster. "…The synchro without an effect. There are only two of them…"

Kaito grinned cheekily. "It used to be that synchro monsters were hard to come by. These days they're far more common. You know, this was one of the first one ever printed. Level six synchros usually aren't my style, but this guy's different." He smiled and revealed the second card in his hand. "Equip spell card, Golden Soul Hammer!"

Gaia reached into the air as both its lances were replaced by a pair of gigantic, golden hammers with spiked tips. "Golden Soul Hammer's effect lets me remove from play a normal monster in my graveyard in order to increase the attack points of the equipped monster by half the removed monster's attack points," Kaito explained. "I remove King of the Veldt!"

A golden aura crackled and surrounded Gaia. (4100/600)

Achan gulped. "…Oh…"

"Gaia Knight, attack! _Crushing Soul!_" Kaito ordered. The horseman charged, impaling Snipe Hunter with one of its lances and destroying it.

Achan groaned as his life points decreased. "Dammit…" (4000- 2600= 1400)

Kaito smirked. "I set one card and end my turn."

Achan feebly moved a hand to draw his next card, his movements very subdued compared to earlier in the duel. He was about to draw, when Kaito's voice arrested his movements. "Hey! Why are you acting so depressed?"

Achan looked up. "What?"

The Lion of the East's grin seemed to light up the makeshift arena. "Is that really all you can do? Guess it's true what they say about duelists who run archetypes- no brains to think of a comeback play. Guess the game's pretty much over for you, kid. If you can't stand up to me just because my monster is tougher than yours, you aren't much of a duelist." He lowered his duel disk, preparing to deactivate it. "If you're not even going to try to act like a man and bounce back, there's no point in continuing this duel, is there?"

"…Take that back."

Kaito acted like he hadn't heard the younger duelist. "What did you say?"

"Saying that archetype players don't know how to duel. Take that bit back. In fact, take every time you called me 'kid' back, because you're not that much older than me. And take the bit about not acting like a man back. I'm bouncing back; I'm just a little slow about it is all." Achan pointed at Kaito dramatically. "Seriously, you think this is going to stop me? I may be a rookie pro- you may be one of my favorite pro duelists- but there's no way I'm letting you stand there and make fun of me! My turn, draw!"

Kaito chuckled. "NOW you're dueling more like a man."

Achan ignored Kaito's comment. "I remove the Wandering Mage I sent to the graveyard last turn from play to activate its effect! _Charging Limit!_" The green aura surrounded him as he selected the spell card. "Limit Break- Beast Shift!" He added the card to his hand. Achan smiled. "Yes! Here it is! I summon Wandering Synchron!"

Suddenly, a gigantic stuffed bear with a pair of devil's wings popped into existence on Achan's field, and a small cat wearing a fool's cap leaped onto its shoulders. Kaito stared at the monster. "…Is that…" (1600/1000)

Achan grinned. "Told you I put a lot of in-jokes in the art! Wandering Synchron's monster effect- _Lucky Dice!_"

The stuffed cat reached back, and the bear mimicked its movements, the two of them rolling a die in unison. "When Wandering Synchron is normal summoned successfully, I roll a die, and then I can special summon a removed-from-play 'Wandering' monster provided that monster's level is less than or equal to the dice roll's result," Achan explained. The die tumbled in front of him, revealing two spots. Achan smirked. "Bingo. I special summon Wandering Mage!"

The stuffed bear grabbed the air and tugged as hard as it could before ripping it open, revealing a swirling void. A man dressed in a red cloak with long, black hair stepped out, brandishing a strange device that looked like something between a gun and a magician's wand in his hands. (800/700)

Kaito stared at the monsters. _I get the feeling that he's been building towards this from the beginning… let's see what his big finisher is, then._

"Level four, Wandering Synchron! Level four, Wandering Hero! Level two, Wandering Mage! Tuning!" Achan punched the air as he gave the order. The small cat atop Wandering Synchron's head opened the mouth of the stuffed bear and jumped inside. The sounds of a struggle escaped from within for a moment, and then the monster exploded into four gleaming rings. Hero and mage rose into the air slowly, their eyes closing as they did so, and entered the column that the synchron had created. Achan began to chant. "_There are forces so terrible that the earth itself cannot contain them. Dragon dwelling among the stars, lend me your power this once! Synchro summon!"_

The light in the column grew to a blinding intensity and the column blazed upwards as if it were trying to pierce the sky itself. Kaito was forced to shield his eyes as Achan completed his chant. "_Obliterate… Wandering Eon- ZERO Muthaba!"_

Kaito opened his eyes and blinked. Achan's monster hadn't appeared. "…Where…"

Achan grinned and pointed. "Up there."

Kaito looked up. Sure enough, a speck was hovering in the sky, barely visible from the rooftop arena. "…What on earth.."

Achan snapped his fingers. "Maybe this will help you understand."

A viewing screen of some sort appeared in front of Achan, revealing a close-up shot of the monster he had summoned- a gigantic blue and silver dragon with no forelegs and no less than two sets of silver wings that seemed to function as solar panels. (3000/2000)

Kaito stared at the monster. "…Wandering… Oh dear lord. Kid, impressive monster, but that thing has got to be the most pitifully obvious reference yet. You just rearranged the damn letters!"

Achan chuckled. "And it worked, too! Now… Wandering Hero! Wandering Synchron! Wandering Mage! _Charging Limit!_" Three more spells popped from his deck and were added to his hand.

Kaito narrowed his eyes. _He's increasing his hand size again…_

Achan smirked. "Now I have a grand total of seven cards in my hand! ZERO's effect… _Charging Flare!_ When it attacks, both of us send every card in our hand to the graveyard, and for each card sent in this way its attack points increase by four hundred!"

It hit Kaito. _I get it… this is it! His goal was to build up a massive hand and take me out in one final strike!_

As Kaito's single card and Achan's hand of seven were both slipped into the graveyard, ZERO's wings aligned themselves and it began to gather energy into its mouth. Achan smirked. "My monster's attack points are way higher than yours… ZERO! Attack now! _Tera Flare!_" (6200/2000)

Kaito looked up. A massive burst of energy shot from the sky, slamming into Gaia. The Knight attempted to resist, but ultimately was completely destroyed. (Kaito: 4000-2100= 1900)

Achan shook his head. "My turn's not over yet. See, when ZERO deals battle damage his second effect activates… both of us remove every card in our graveyard from play, and you take one hundred points of damage for each card we remove."

Images appeared above the two- the seven cards Achan had sent to the graveyard, the King of the Veldt from Kaito's hand, Storm Hound, Golden Soul Hammer, Twin Spirits, Gaia, Threatening Roar, Vorse Raider, and Titan's Blade. Sixteen cards in total.

The ground exploded under Kaito, and he shielded himself from the explosion as his life points plummeted. (Kaito: 1900-1600=300)

"During my end phase, ZERO will return to my extra deck," Achan explained as the view-screen hologram vanished. "…But… that's it."

Kaito groaned. The kid wasn't much of a defensive player- in truth, this strategy left him wide open- but it was a damn gutsy move. His set card- Birthright- was useless without a graveyard. It was all up to luck now- luck or fate. He'd have to draw a winning card next turn, or his opponent- who had been thinning his deck the entire time- probably would.

He looked Achan in the eye. "…Kid… no, Achan Smith. That's your name, right?"

Achan nodded.

"…I acknowledge you as a duelist, and I'd love to have you back me up when I go out there to win the Kaiser Cup."

Achan's face split into a massive grin. "Glad to hear it Mr…"

"You can call me Kaito, we're team mates now," Kaito said as he smiled at his opponent. "You've got a lot to learn, but I like your style."

Achan chuckled. "This your way of backing out to save face?"

Kaito shook his head. "…Are you kidding me? You know me better than that if you're a fan." He reached for his deck. "A proud lion like me giving up just because a cub gets a lucky shot in? Like hell! It's my turn!"

Achan stared at Kaito's right hand in shock. "…Wait a minute…"

"DRAW!"

A gust of wind flew along the rooftop as Kaito drew, chilling Achan to the bone.

Kaito glanced at the card in his hand, and immediately slammed it onto his duel disk. "Master of the Underdog, in attack position!"

The long-haired fighter leaped over Kaito's head to take his position on the battlefield. He charged towards Achan before Kaito had even finished giving his orders. "_Lionheart Strike!_"

The Master of the Underdog pulled back his fist and punched Achan in the face. (Achan: 1400-1400=0)

Achan was still staring at his opponent. "Kaito… your hand!"

Kaito looked at it. "What?"

"The mark on it!"

Kaito glanced at the mark. "Oh, this? I got it from some crazy guy I dueled last night. He called himself Creed, and-"

Achan shook his head. "…Kaito, listen to me. You're not going to believe this, but… you just used your right hand to punch through _fate_."

* * *

Creed stood on a rooftop nearby, unseen by the two, and chuckled. "And so it begins…"

"Creed."

The man turned to face his companion- an elderly man with a short beard and a pair of red-tinted sunglasses. "Yes?"

"…You've done well, giving the marks of amplification to those two. But are you entirely certain about your third choice?"

Creed nodded. "Schuyler is the only human I've met in this city worthy of giving that mark to. In any case, we can't undo it. Their fates are linked now, with a bond that not even the Lion of the East's strength can break."

"A curious thing, fate," the old man mused. "…In the end, I suppose this is a game designed to see if it should be allowed to exist at all."

Creed nodded. "Will you be staying around to watch the results, elder?"

The old man shook his head. "I have business to attend to, I'm afraid. I can, however, reward you for your service." He shook Creed's hand. "Take the rest of the Kaiser Cup off. Go where you want, assist the three you've marked or simply watch them, or ignore them altogether. Compete in the Cup if you can find a team. But if at all possible, enjoy yourself."

Creed nodded again. "Thank you, elder."

The old man walked to the edge of the rooftop and looked down. "…These things look higher every day," he grumbled. He took two steps back, and then abruptly changed direction and leaped towards the ground below.

Creed sighed. "Always a show-off."

FAKE CARDS

_Monster/Light/Warrior/Effect/4*_  
Atk 1700/Def 1200  
When this card is summoned, send one monster card from your hand to the graveyard in order to select an equip spell card from your deck and equip it to this card . When this monster would be destroyed, destroy an equip spell card equipped to it instead. You can remove this monster in your graveyard from play to select one "Limit Break- Meteor Blade" from your deck and add it to your hand.

**Wandering Mage**  
_Monster/Fire/Spellcaster/Effect/2*_  
Atk 800/Def 600  
When this card is normal summoned, you can shuffle two differently-named "Limit Break" spell cards from your graveyard into your deck and draw one card. When this monster attacks or is attacked, you can send one "Limit Break" spell card from your hand to the graveyard to increase its Atk by 1000 until the end of the damage step. You can remove this card in your graveyard from play to select one "Limit Break- Beast Shift" from your deck and add it to your hand.

**Wandering Synchron**  
_Monster/Earth/Machine/Tuner/4*_  
Atk 1600/Def 1000  
When this card is summoned successfully, roll a six-sided die and special summon one of your removed-from-play "Wandering" monsters with a level equal to or lower than the result. This monster cannot be used in a synchro summon unless the other monsters are "Wandering" monsters. You can remove this card in your graveyard from play to select one "Limit Break-Slots" from your deck and add it to your hand.

**Wandering Eon- ZERO Muthaba**  
_Monster/Wind/Dragon/Synchro/10*_  
Atk 3000/Def 2000  
"1 'Wandering' tuner + 2 or more non-tuner monsters"  
When this card declares an attack, both players send all cards in their hands to the graveyard. This card gains 400 Atk for each card sent to the graveyard in this way until the end of the damage step. When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent, both players remove all cards in their graveyard from play. Inflict 100 points of damage to your opponent for each card removed in this way. During the end phase of a turn this monster attacked, return it to your extra deck.

(_Credit for creation of the above monster goes to Comedy of Circumstances, credit for the Wandering archetype goes to me.)_

(Note- to save myself time and energy, I won't list the effects of specific Limit Breaks until they're activated within the fanfic itself. However, each one requires the monster removed to search for it to be on the field, and all require a cost of half your life points if that monster is not the only monster you control. In addition, only one Limit Break can be activated during a turn.)


	3. Chapter 3

_(A/N: Warning- The following chapter contains ANOTHER reference to an RP that never got off the ground. Don't worry, it's not necessary to understand what's going on, though._

_Game Three: Self-Destructive Deck? The Final Hotblood!_

"Punching through fate?"

Kaito looked at Achan, an expression of pure and utter confusion evident on his face. "How in the hell do you punch through fate?"

Achan shook his head. "…Well… I don't know how else to describe what you did. What I saw was…" He sighed. "Remember when I asked you if you were a seer?"

Kaito nodded. "So?"

"I asked you because… well, I am one. A seer is somebody who can see things most people can't."

"…Are you saying you're a psychic?" Kaito's grimace made his thoughts on the subject abundantly clear.

"Ah! No, no, no, not like that! It's more like… um… oh, damn it, how do I explain this….?" Achan mumbled. After a moment, he glanced at the mark on his arm and his face lit up. "Oh, right! Here, maybe I can show you!"

"…Show me- what are you talking about? I still don't get what you meant by…" Kaito allowed his sentence to hand in the air unfinished as Achan held out his right hand. "…What the hell is that tattoo?"

Achan shook his head. "…I'm not sure. I do know that a guy named Creed gave it to me, and he said it was because I was a seer. I-I don't know if it does the same thing your mark does, but after I got it I could see everything even clearer than I could before. Like, before duel energy just sort of all looked the same, but now I can see different colors of it and stuff and-"

Kaito kept staring. "…Back up to the part where you said you met Creed. I think I lost you after that."

"Oh! Oh, I'm sorry I was um… er… dammit what the hell would Cloud do in this situation…" Achan muttered. Suddenly, his face perked up. "Oh, right! Um… that Creed guy, the mark he gave you? It can break fate, and-"

"…You said that already," Kaito pointed out.

Achan chuckled nervously. "…Um… I'm sorry, never mind. Maybe we should just talk about this later…"

The Lion of the East sighed. "...You're gonna have to explain things to me once you pull yourself together kid- er, Achan."

Achan nodded. "Um… why don't we shake on it?"

Kaito shrugged and held out his right hand. "Why not?"

The two shook hands.

The moment their marked palms came into contact, Kaito immediately became conscious of two details he had somehow failed to notice about Achan before. The first was that a red-orange fog seemed to be wrapped around him, pulsing in and out each time he breathed. The second was that a miniature brown puffball with a pair of bat-like wings and a forked tail was hovering beside him, siphoning off some of that fog. The puffball winked. _Nice to meet you._

Kaito pulled back with alarm. The puffball vanished as soon as he broke contact with Achan. "…Alright, are you going to explain just what the hell that thing is?" he asked, pointing at the spot above Achan's left shoulder where he had last seen the creature.

"Oh, it worked!" Achan smiled. "…I wondered if maybe this thing could pass along temporary sight… looks like it does. Yeah that's Devi… um, he's a duel spirit. He feeds off duel energy to survive, so right now we're partners and… um… why are you staring at me like that?"

Kaito shook his head. "…I'm just trying to figure out why you're so calm about all this. If that mark is letting you see this sort of thing-"

Achan laughed and shook his head. "…No, no, the mark doesn't let ME see it, it lets YOU see it. I've been able to see all this since… forever, really. See, what you saw was my spirit partner and-"

"Let's go back inside," Kaito said abruptly.

"What? But I was-"

"Look, Achan? I appreciate you trying to explain things, but all you're doing is confusing me more. For now it doesn't matter what I did to win that duel or how I did it. If I can punch through fate, all that means to me is that I don't have to worry about fate screwing me over." Kaito sighed again, rubbing his forehead as if his head ached. "Now let's go back in. I have a crazy tabloid lady to get rid of."

"Crazy tabloid lady?"

Kaito groaned as Achan followed him back inside the building. "…Long story…"

* * *

"Mr. Matthews, I'm starting to lose my patience. I'd like to get some answers now, or I might be forced to release some compromising information. I trust you know what I mean." Rachel glared at the manager furiously.

Cole lounged backwards in his chair and sighed, adjusting his tie. "Miss, I'm afraid my policy dictates that I can't disclose any personal information about Mr. Shishio without his explicit permission. He has not yet given me that permission. If you have an issue with this, take it up with him."

"You're trying my patience, Mr. Matthews." Rachel gritted her teeth. "I don't want to repeat myself again. Either you tell me what I want to know, or I'm going to march up there and interview your client whether his little card game is finished or not. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly. I can't help you, Miss Wayne. You'll have to work things out with my client- though I advise you not to yank him away from a duel, especially if he's having fun. Even I can't get him to cooperate if he's in a foul enough mood," Cole warned.

Rachel tossed her hair and prepared to deliver a crushing reply. Before she could form the words, Kaito and Achan burst into the room. Kaito glared at the reporter. "…I see you're still here."

Rachel prepared to reply again, but Cole interrupted. "Kaito, good, you're back. I trust you've accepted Mr. Smith's application to join Team Hotbloods?"

"…We're calling ourselves Team Hotbloods?" Kaito asked, a slightly bemused expression on his face. "Sounds good. I like it."

Cole nodded. "Good. In that case, we'll need to discuss potential candidates for our final member. Now I think we need someone to balance the team out so-"

"Just a minute! I haven't finished my interview yet!" Kaito could have sworn that Rachel momentarily sprouted claws and fangs as she glared at Cole.

"You'll have to wait for it, then. Miss Wayne, my client is very busy, and cannot be expected to conduct an unscheduled interview at this time. I'm willing to discuss an appointment, but until the end of this business day my client has work to do." Cole turned back to Kaito and Achan. "Now, I've narrowed the list of names down to-"

"…I'm warning you Mr. Matthews, if you don't get the hell out of the way and give me my interview I will personally walk down to the office of the nearest tabloid and deliver my photographs of your client to them right now-"

"Miss, do not force me to call security and-"

"If you call them I swear I'll rip your throat out and-"

"QUIET!"

Both bickering parties turned their heads in unison. Lawrence glared at them both. "…We're business professionals here, not children. Matthews, you're a manager, can't you reach a settlement for the girl?"

"Um… can I say something?"

This time, everyone looked at Achan. Rachel glared. "…Alright, you have two minutes to say your piece before I just cash in on my scoop right now."

Achan took a deep breath. "Well, I don't quite understand what's going on, but… you want to sell an interview with Kaito, right?"

Rachel nodded. "Get on with it already."

Achan turned to Cole. "And you don't want to give it to her because you think it will interfere with getting ready for the Kaiser Cup?"

Cole nodded. "…Thank you, Mr. Smith, for pointing out the obvious."

"…Well, why don't you compromise and let her follow us around while we get ready and do an inside story on us getting ready for the Kaiser Cup? I mean, that way…" he pointed to Rachel. "You can get a scoop, and we don't have to slow down our preparations."

The edges of Cole's lips curled into something that resembled the beginning of a frown, but before he could reply Kaito nodded. "Good idea. Great idea, in fact. Hey, why don't we do this instead of an interview? It'll be much better for… um… scheduling and things. What do you think, Cole?"

Cole sighed. "…If you're alright with this arrangement, Miss Wayne, I'll allow you to work with Team Hotbloods indefinitely as our official press contact… I suppose we'd need to find one anyway."

Rachel smirked. "…It's not the story I was after, but I'll take it all the same. Provided, of course, you all cover my expenses while I'm following you around."

Cole shot Kaito a look that plainly read "I-hope-you're-happy-with-this-decision-because-I'm-certainly-pissed-off." However, what he said in reply was "…Very well. I'll inform Babylon International that they'll be picking up your tabs, and we can discuss specific terms later. For now… let's return to business." He held up a manila envelope and placed it on the coffee table in front of him. "This envelope contains the names and records of several professional duelists who would make suitable third members for the Kaiser Cup."

Kaito picked up the envelope and opened it. He leafed through the contents for a minute, glancing at various names, and then set the contents down. "Nobody with under seven years of experience?"

"We've just taken a rookie on board, and you're fairly new to the pros yourself. We need a veteran to balance the team out." Cole nodded when he finished the sentence, as if affirming his own statement.

Kaito rolled his eyes. "I thought you said we were going for the underdog angle?"

"We are, but it helps to look like a competent underdog," Cole retorted. "Now, of these seven duelists only two live in the immediate area. We'll need to arrange meetings with the others. I've taken the liberty of already sending invitations to the two local duelists-"

"Just a minute." Kaito's voice was low and carried an edge of exasperation. "You _already_ invited them to join?"

"We can always retract the invitation later, don't get so worked up, Shishio," Cole replied placidly. "Now, of these two, one has given us a reply in the negative since he's currently working on forming his own team- we may still end up with him, it really depends on how successful that effort is. The other one we've had no response from, so I feel that it's a good plan that we give him a personal call. I've taken the liberty of arranging one already."

Achan glanced at Kaito. "…Are you okay?"

"…Never felt better," Kaito replied through clenched teeth. "Cole, I thought I told you that I wanted you to talk to me before deciding these things. It's bad enough that my choices are limited, now you're telling me I don't get to pick even from limited options?"

"You're the one who said that you weren't interested in taking care of the small details of your career." Cole shook his head and held up one of the photos that had been in the envelope. "Now… this is the man we're looking for."

Kaito stared at the picture for a moment. "…Never heard of him."

Cole coughed slightly. "His name is Red McFadden, also known as 'The Invincible Fortress'. Seven years ago he piloted one of the earliest Machina hybrid decks to victory in singles, and he's been a strong contender in every event he's visited since then. He's also quite popular with several dueling fans."

Achan tilted his head to the side. "…Isn't he the guy who tried to write his own theme song?"

Rachel giggled. "…More than that. I've heard of this guy too… let me see… win-loss record, aside from that early tournament, is actually about average. He's over six feet tall, has a tendency to dress neatly and make speeches about himself, and he loves flirting with female fans. His favorite food is steak, he tends to play earth-attribute machines specifically, and his original ace card was Machina Force… have I left anything out?"

"…Not bad," Cole admitted, his tone slightly betraying his surprise. "How did you know?"

"Mr. Matthews, it's my _job_ to know these things. This isn't my first time tailing a duelist- I know the history, deck choice, and mannerisms of most of the duelists currently taking part in USA Pro League tournaments, including this guy." Rachel giggled again. "What, did you think I was just a pretty face?"

Cole glared at the girl. "…Now please explain why you find it so funny that I've decided to focus on this particular duelist as the potential third Hotblood, Miss Wayne."

Rachel waited for her giggling to subside a little. "…Well..." she giggled for a few more moments and shook her head. "Nothing, nothing…"

"I see." Cole's voice was filled with contempt. "I believe that McFadden will be a perfectly suitable candidate for this team, and his particular brand of showmanship will likely boost media attention." Cole shuffled the rest of the papers into the manila envelope. "Now, I've arranged a meeting with him today at three o'clock. Shishio, Smith, I expect you to join me; he specifically requested that the entire team be present. We're meeting at the El Dorado. Any questions?"

Kaito nodded. "…Yeah, here's one. How does this guy duel?"

"You'll find out." This time it was Lawrence who spoke up. "I've heard of the El Dorado… a bar known for two things- excellent scotch and underground dueling."

"Underground dueling?" Rachel's face lit up. "Interesting. Maybe you could tell us more?"

Lawrence shook his head. "Unfortunately, that's _all_ I know. I got the tip off from a friend in the business when I was searching for a new client after my last one retired. Lots of big-name duelists got their start in underground betting leagues, and occasionally professionals go to places like that as a change of pace from the usual competition. I think your Mr. McFadden has invited you down there as a chance to demonstrate his strength."

" I never heard that about the El Dorado," Cole said drily.

Kaito chuckled. "My manager just admitted there are things he doesn't know about. Will wonders never cease?"

"Laugh while you can, Shishio. We have half an hour to grab a bite to eat, and then we'll meet at the bar." Cole glanced at Lawrence. "Excellent scotch, you said?"

"Best in the city, or so I've heard," Lawrence confirmed.

Rachel giggled again. "You all go on ahead… I think I'll take some time to enjoy my lunch."

Cole frowned. "…Meet us outside the bar, then. Are you quite sure you don't want to explain what's so funny, Miss Wayne?"

"Nope." Rachel's eyes glimmered with mischief. "You'll see."

* * *

The insides of the bar were about the usual for something in the big city- neon lights, a television displaying scores from last night's sports games and professional duels, a group of people hitting on the barmaid, and a few old folks sitting in the corner and discussing how things weren't the way they were back in _their_ day. The familiarity of it was a slight comfort to Kaito- he might not have been a drinker, but he'd visited places like this often enough before he had actually become a professional that he knew what to expect. The main bar obviously wasn't the draw for most of the patrons- it was just a way to slake the thirst of customers. The real attraction was the basement room. Noise drifted up from it periodically as the duelists below won or lost. After the bizarre events of the night before and earlier that morning, Kaito was glad to have something he could understand.

"…Pitiful, aren't they?"

Kaito turned. The man behind him was tall- at least the six feet that Rachel had described him as. His blonde hair was neatly trimmed and styled, and he was wearing a pressed white suit. Kaito immediately decided that he didn't like Red McFadden at all. "No clue what you're talking about," he said casually, trying to ignore the obnoxious sneer on the other man's face.

"Those idiots in the underground arena, I mean," the larger man said. "They spend years at a time attempting to attract the attention of a talent scout… but in reality, only the best of them will make it into the pro leagues. The others should really just give up." He laughed.

"Are you going somewhere with this?" Kaito snapped.

"That all depends," the large man grinned. "Are you the Lion of the East?"

"What of it?"

Red McFadden smirked. "I came here to tell you that your little trick has failed."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "And… what trick would that be?"

The self-important expression on McFadden's face was enough to make Kaito sick. "I know all about your little plan- you wanted to make sure you wouldn't have to face the Invincible Fortress on the dueling field, so you invited him to join your team! I'm here to inform you that it won't work- for the Invincible Fortress refuses to team with weaklings who are pitiful enough to beg for his assistance, and-"

"Are we talking about you or someone else?" Kaito and McFadden both turned their heads in time to see Achan walk back from the bar holding a glass of some sort of pink liquid, a genuinely confused expression on his face. "You keep saying 'The Invincible Fortress', but you never did say who you were Mister… um…"

McFadden stared at Achan. "…So you're so desperate to form a team that you'll partner with this weakling! Ha! You're more pitiful than I thought, Lion of the East!" he jeered. "Rest assured, I'll-"

"Shut up."

This time the voice came from behind McFadden. The gigantic man turned in time to see the speaker, and Kaito caught a glimpse of her as well. She was younger than most of the bar's patrons, but clearly at least McFadden's age. Her hair- a flaming, brilliant red- was cut relatively short, barely reaching her neck. Her face showed evidence of several scars-a small one above her right eye, a larger one on her chin, and a fairly prominent one running down her right cheek. What drew the attention of most, however, was the chair she sat in. The wheelchair was equipped with a motor and had been spray-painted black at some point in the past. "Some of us," she continued, her voice bitter, "Are trying to enjoy a drink. If you want to brag, pick another bar."

McFadden glared at the woman. "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but NOBODY interrupts the Invincible Fortress," he proclaimed. "Unless you want to match me on the dueling field, don't interrupt a man's business."

"…Man? What man?" The ferocity in the woman's tone was enough to make McFadden flinch. "I don't see any man around here. I see a pig in a suit who doesn't know when to shut up." She pointed up at the giant's face. "You want a match? You've got it. I'll see you in the arena."

It was then that Kaito noticed something about the woman's eyes. The intensity of them was unlike anything else he'd ever seen. If he looked closely, he could have sworn he could see hellfire in the backs of her pupils. Before he could ask her name, the woman had wheeled her way over to the bar and whispered something to the man behind the counter. The bartender nodded and directed her towards an elevator in the back of the room. "…She's a regular here, then…" he muttered, realizing the implications.

"Hmph!" McFadden recovered from the woman's dismissal of him. "I was planning to give you a demonstration of my strength anyway, Lion of the East… this insolent woman is a perfect demonstration! I'll display my power, and-"

"Um… shouldn't you be following her?" Achan asked, his face the picture of innocence. "She did just challenge you, you know."

The so-called Invincible Fortress glared at Achan and stomped down the steps. Kaito couldn't help laughing. "Nice one, there."

Achan smiled a little. "I'm good at playing innocent when I have to," he admitted. "But… more importantly… Kaito, you know that woman from earlier? I saw something about her… she's got different energy than most of the people in this bar."

"Different energy? Does this have something to do with all that 'seer' stuff you were trying to explain before?" Kaito asked, praying that this time Achan wouldn't confuse him any further.

Achan nodded. "Um… to put it simply, most people have kind of a yellow-orange duel energy. That woman has the same color that we do… sort of more… reddish?"

Kaito remembered the red-orange fog he'd seen wrapped around Achan earlier. "Huh. Alright, I can understand that. So what does it mean?"

"I… don't actually know," Achan admitted. "It's just weird, that's all."

"Shishio, Smith, we're leaving."

Kaito turned. Cole had stolen up behind them while they were talking. "…I'm guessing you ran into McFadden," Kaito grinned.

"…And that girl knew what he'd do," Cole growled. "That's why she was so smug earlier. Still… if she really is able to predict the actions of duelists this way, maybe your spending the night with her wasn't as much of a mistake as I'd thought. We might be able to make some positive use of her talents after all."

"Spent the night with her? Wait, you mean you and her are-" Achan began before a furious glare from Kaito silenced him.

"…I told you already, Cole, I was drugged by that Reaper guy and I collapsed outside her house. She's just milking my bad timing for cash, that's all." Kaito's reply was a near-growl. "Anyway, I don't feel like leaving just yet. I want to watch."

"Watch what?" Cole asked, slightly confused.

"Just watch." Kaito smirked.

Cole sighed. "You've got that look in your eyes again. The 'I'm-not-moving-until-I-get-my-way' look," he complained. "You're such a child sometimes, Kaito."

Kaito grinned. "And now you're just jealous because I'm having fun."

"…I suppose it wouldn't hurt to watch the duel, if that's what you're talking about," Cole admitted. "Besides, I haven't tried any of that scotch yet."

* * *

McFadden's duel disk, Kaito had to admit, was a masterpiece of overkill. The device was two times larger than the standard model, though the gigantic man was able to lift it with ease, and spray-painted with the same metallic gold as Kaito's. The central hub had several diamonds embedded around it, and the entire contraption reflected the flickering light from the small dueling arena beautifully. The crowd giggled and pointed to it, taking bets as the woman wheeled up a nearby ramp to face the pro duelist. Kaito could tell from the snatches of hushed conversation he caught that the woman was something of a favorite among patrons.

"Woman… I don't know who you are, but you made a grave mistake the day you challenged the Incvincible Fortress!" McFadden declared, swinging his arms out dramatically. "You can fight all you want, but my defense is an impenetrable wall, and my offensive strength will-"

"Save your breath." The woman whistled, and a man in the crowd tossed her a duel disk- standard issue, no upgrades. She caught it deftly and slipped it onto her arm before pressing the 'activate' switch and inserting her deck. "I told you, you want to brag find another bar. Around here our actions speak louder than words."

Both duelists paused for a moment, and then shouted in unison. "DUEL!"

The woman drew. "I'll take the first move," she said, her voice still bitter. "I set one monster and three cards face down. Turn end."

"Ha! Cowering in defense, are we? The Invincible Fortress hates coward moves like that!" The man drew, his overdramatic motion giving most of the people in the arena a chance to see his card. He immediately placed it on the gigantic duel disk. "I summon Scrap Recycler to the field in defense position!" A small pile of scrap metal and trash that had somehow been given life appeared opposite the woman's facedown monster. (900/1200)

The woman made a face at the monster but said nothing.

"Trembling in fear already? If you're frightened of my Recycler, you have no chance of defeating my ace!" McFadden gloated. "Scrap Recycler's monster effect will send any machine type monster from my deck to the graveyard… _Scrap Crushing!_"

As he spoke, the pile of junk rattled, a single card falling from its top to the ground. McFadden laughed- a harsh, arrogant sound that made Kaito wince. "Now, I'll show you my invincible strength… my unstoppable power! I send the Machina Gearframe and Green Gadget in my hand to the graveyard, in order to special summon…"

The ground began to quake. Suddenly, it shattered, revealing a gigantic three-treaded tank equipped with robotic limbs and a massive cannon. "The invincible… Machina Fortress! Tremble!" (2500/1600)

"Is that all?" the woman motioned impatiently. "I told you, this bar isn't a place for empty talk. If you're gonna duel, then duel damn it!"

A man in the crowd clapped. "You tell 'im, Wheels!"

McFadden seemed visibly upset that the crowd was largely siding against him, if only for a moment. "Machina Fortress is the ultimate in defense! When destroyed in battle, it will take one of your cards with it, and targeting it with the effect of one of your effect monsters will allow me to choose a card from your hand and discard it! Now… the second effect of my Scrap Recycler activates! I return the two level four machine types I sent to my graveyard earlier to my deck in order to draw one card! _Scrap Returning!_" The junk pile whirred as pieces from an unidentified orange machine and the distinctive pieces of Green Gadget appeared in mid-air before transforming into light and disappearing into McFadden's deck. He drew and then revealed the card. "Spell card, Nobleman of Crossout! Your facedown monster is destroyed and removed from play!"

The card split in two, briefly revealing a red sphere with four claws. The Invincible Fortress smirked. "Trying to destroy my monster with your Blast Sphere? Well, there's no danger of that now!" His smirk became cruel. "Machina Fortress, direct attack! _Ultimate Invincible Destructive Force- Massive Plasma Cannon!"_

The cannon mounted on the blue machine leveled itself at Wheels and began to charge. Kaito nearly winced, before noticing something. For a moment- only for a moment- the woman had smiled. The blast soared across the arena, before…

"Trap card activate! Draining Shield!" a green dome of energy surrounded Wheels, absorbing the energy from the attack and converting it into a green aura. "Your attack is negated, and I gain life points equal to the attack points of your monster." (Wheels: 4000+2500= 6500)

McFadden smirked. "As I said, you're nothing but a coward, hiding behind your traps! Next turn, I'll completely destroy you!" Two cards materialized behind his Scrap Recycler and Fortress. "I'll set these and end my turn. Be glad for this short reprieve!"

The woman in the wheelchair's eyes narrowed. Her frown deepened into a scowl. "…I think I've had enough of you and your bragging… trash," she growled. "You and the rest of the pro league duelists who come here, looking for an easy win- all trash duelists with zero sense." She drew. "I'll destroy you during this turn."

Achan frowned. "…Why is she so confident? That guy's got at least one attack-reactive trap card set this turn."

Kaito shrugged. "I don't know. What I do know is this… she means every word she just said." He chuckled. "This could be interesting…"

The woman tapped her duel disk. "Continuous trap card activate- Curse of Darkness. Now both of us will take a thousand points of damage for each spell we activate!"

Kaito stared at the trap card. "…Haven't seen that thing in a while."

"What do you mean?" Achan scratched the back of his neck.

"Curse of Darkness is a double-edged card- it forces a heavy cost on either player for each spell they activate," Kaito explained. "It takes a strong duelist to use it without locking themselves into a corner."

"I play the spell card Blasting Vein," Wheels declared as she placed a card on her duel disk. The set card beside Curse of Darkness shattered. "By this card's effect, I destroy a set spell or trap card in order to draw two cards from my deck!"

"…What?" Achan stared at the card's green frame. "…S-she's going to damage herself! She didn't have to activate the card right away to draw- what the hell is going on here?"

"Hah! You say I have zero sense?" The Invincible Fortress laughed. "Your own trap will damage you! You're hastening your demise!"

Wheels ignored him even as a green aura drained her life points. "That's exactly what I want, pig." (6500-1000= 5500)

"What? Oh, I see! You're simply eager to lose to the great Fortress!" McFadden seemed pleased with his own deduction. "Were you simply smitten with my beauty?"

Kaito could have sworn that he saw the air around the red-haired woman catch fire. "…No, you idiot. Should I spell it out for you? My deck is a 'Self-Destructive' deck. The more damage I do to myself…" She held up a second spell card, "The more painful it'll be when I run you down! Spell card, Foolish Burial! I send Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive from my deck to the graveyard!" The aura washed over her again. (5500-1000 =4500) "Next… I summon my tuner monster, Black Salvo!"

A bomb with a rather disturbing grin painted on its face appeared beside Wheels, its fuse ticking. "Black Salvo's monster effect! I special summon any level four dark attribute machine from the graveyard! _Explosion Rebirth!_" (100/1100)

A purple train with a demonic face shot from the graveyard, its brakes squealing audibly. "Dekoichi returns," Wheels said. "Its effect is negated and it's placed in defense position." (1400/1000)

"Give it up," McFadden laughed when he saw the card. "No level seven synchro monster exists that can defeat me with the field in its current state!"

"…Are you really willing to bet on that?" The woman's lips curled into a cruel smile. "I tune my level three Black Salvo to my level four Dekoichi." The bomb's fuse began to burn.

Achan leaned closer to Kaito. "…Her duel energy is reacting to this summon…" he muttered. "…She's doing something big."

The bomb exploded, transforming into three green rings that surrounded Dekoichi. Suddenly, a peculiar look covered the red-haired woman's face, and it took Kaito a moment to realize it was sadness. "_All my bitterness… all my rage… all my hatred! The pain I've suffered, transform and take revenge! Synchro summon!"_

The usual column of light formed by a synchro summon instead erupted into a pillar of flames. Suddenly a gigantic black motorcycle shot from the center, flames spouting from silver exhaust pipes. Sitting on the bike's seat was a large, demonic creature wearing a black leather jacket. Black tubes ran between the fanged demon and its motorcycle, connecting the two. The painful expression on Wheels's face transformed into a devilish grin. "_Ride them all down, Vengeance Hellrider!" _(1700/1000)

For a moment, the demonic motorcyclist's appearance was enough to cause McFadden to flinch away in alarm. When he noticed the monster's small attack score, he recovered instantly. "That's all? That thing is pitiful! If you want to destroy my monster with some sort of card effect, you'll have to be prepared to lose a card from your hand!"

Wheels shook her head. "…Vengeance Hellrider's special ability isn't to destroy monsters. It gains attack points equal to the life points I lose during the turn I summon it. Its attack points are currently…"

The demon on board the bike grinned and revved its engines, its attack points increasing. (3700/1000)

Wheels leveled a finger at the Scrap Recycler on McFadden's field as the color drained from the larger duelist's face. "I'll attack that scrap first… Vengeance Hellrider, attack! _Highway to Hell!_"

A blazing road suddenly burned its way across the arena, and the demonic biker revved its engines one last time before charging at the cluster of scrap metal.

McFadden raised a hand. "No chance! My trap card will-"

"Vengeance Hellrider's second ability- _Devil Exhaust! _I inflict one thousand points of damage to myself to seal your card effects until the end of the damage step!" A stream of flames from Hellrider's exhaust engulfed Wheels. The woman continued grinning as the devil biker crushed the pile of scrap metal on her opponent's field completely. (4500-1000= 3500)

"I get it now…" Achan muttered. "That's why she called it a self-destruct deck…"

McFadden shielded himself from the explosion of the scrap metal and laughed. "So you destroyed my Recycler- that changes nothing! My Fortress is still standing strong!"

Wheels shook her head. "Didn't I already say this was the end of the duel, pig?" she asked, pouring as much contempt into her voice as possible. "Hellrider's third and final effect… I can deal damage to myself equal to the attack points of a monster it destroyed to let it attack one more time! _Devil Exhaust-Reverse Transmission!"_

The motorcyclist skillfully steered his bike to a halt and then reversed directions, bearing down on Wheels. The wheelchair-bound duelist flinched as her life points dropped again. (3500-900=2400)

"In case you'd forgotten, pig," she said, pointing at her monster, "Vengeance Hellrider's effect has continued increasing its attack points. And with the addition of the thousand points of damage I'll deal to myself now… your life points are finished!" She leveled a finger at McFadden as her life points dropped yet again. (2400-1000=1400) "Finish this, Vengeance Hellrider! _Highway to Hell!_ Burn him to ash!"

The demonic biker gave a high-pitched laugh as he charged towards the blue, robotic tank. (6600/1000)

The motorcycle's wheels split straight through the tank's body, shattering it to pieces. McFadden flinched back in alarm just as the monster collided with him. Then he flew backwards, landing on his back, as his life points plummeted past the zero mark. (McFadden: 4000-4100= 0)

"…H-how did you…" he stared at Wheels, who had already deactivated her duel disk and made her way over to the fallen pro.

Wheels simply regarded the duelist coldly. "Only the best should compete in the pro leagues. Trash like you should just stay down," she spat out, deliberately running over the man's hand as she reversed direction and headed back down the ramp. She attempted to make her way towards the elevator in the corner, only for someone to block her path. "Move."

Kaito shook his head. "I want to know something first."

"Not telling."

Kaito stared at the woman. She stared back. Finally she relented. "Ask your question and maybe you'll get an answer."

Kaito nodded. "I want to know your name."

The woman gave him a crooked smile. "It's no big secret. My name is Allison Schuyler. Everyone calls me 'Wheels'. I'm this arena's queen."

"...I'll see you again, Schuyler." Kaito stepped aside, allowing the woman past.

Achan stared at her. "…She… how did she…" he muttered under his breath.

Cole walked to Kaito's side. "…You were right, that WAS an enjoyable match. I suppose we'll need to think of a new candidate for the third Hotblood now, though. We'll have to search out of city unfortunately…"

Kaito shook his head. "No need. I know who we need for the third member."

"…Oh?" Cole looked at the Lion of the East, slightly surprised. "And who might that be?"

Kaito pointed towards the elevator. "Her. We need her."

* * *

**FAKE CARD REPORT!**

**Vengeance Hellrider**  
_Monster/Fire/Machine/Synchro/7*_  
Atk 1700/Def 1000

"1 Tuner monster + 1 or more non-tuner monsters"  
Increase this card's Atk by the amount of life points you have lost during this turn. When this card declares an attack, you can inflict 1000 points of damage to yourself. If you do, your opponent cannot activate spell or trap cards until the end of the damage step. When this monster destroys an opponent's monster as a result of battle, you can inflict damage to yourself equal to that monster's Atk to let this monster attack once again in a row.

**_(Credit to Comedy of Circumstances for the above card, thanks again for the beta-read!)_  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yu-Gi-Oh! Burning Red**

_Game Four: Prove Your Worth, Rookie! Wandering Hero vs. Vengeance Hellrider!_

Her home was probably one of the classiest in New York City.

Allison Schuyler had spared no expense when furnishing the place- it wasn't exactly posh, that wouldn't suit her, but it was certainly well-decorated. The walls were painted a bright shade of red- bright enough to be cheerful but subdued enough to be warm and comforting. The appliances were new and top of the line. Newspaper clippings in glass cases hung on the walls. The house was designed to be a comfortable place to come home to after a long day's work.

Allison Schuyler hated coming home.

She glared at the light switch that was positioned _just_ out of her reach. She had made no effort to relocate switches on the walls when she had lost the use of her legs, and didn't intend to. She had compromised once she got tired of bumping into things by buying several lamps that were closer to a comfortable level, but those damn switches always frustrated her. She wanted to just stand up and flick one. She wanted to be a whole person again.

Two small metal dishes sat on the floor- one filled with water, one empty. Wheels sighed and opened the refrigerator. She grabbed a can of cat food- already opened- and scooped the contents into the empty dish. "Mitts, dinner!" she called.

No response. That was odd. Normally that cat would come running to the promise of food.

"Mittens?"

That was when she heard it- a purring coming from the living room. The woman's eyes narrowed as she wheeled towards the source of the noise and clapped twice, activating the light.

In the middle of the living room, sitting on a footstool, was a young woman with a red hairband with a striped cat curled up in her lap, perfectly content.

"Welcome home, Miss Schuyler," Rachel said as she looked up from petting the cat. "I wondered when you'd be back."

To say that Wheels was startled would have been a gross understatement. Her mouth opened and closed several times, no words escaping. Finally, she managed to piece her thoughts together and form a coherent sentence. "…What in the hell are you doing in my house with my cat?"

"I'm sitting on a footstool petting your cat and waiting for you to get home," Rachel replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "Does it look like I'm doing something else?"

"No. Doesn't explain why the f*ck you're in my house." Wheels glared at the girl for a moment, and then sighed. "Mitts, dinner's ready. C'mon, girl."

The cat mewed and leaped from Rachel's lap, trotting into the kitchen. Rachel giggled. "You named it Mittens?"

"…You got a problem with that name?" Wheels growled.

"Not at all. Just unusual," Rachel replied. "I wouldn't have expected it."

"Why? Because I'm a bitter, angry bitch who hates life and spends all her time dueling kids in a bar?" Wheels spat the question out. "Go on, admit it. That's what you're thinking, isn't it? That's what everyone thinks I am- the damn crazy wheelchair lady who hangs out in the f*cking bar. Good for a drink and a laugh but not much else. Go on, admit it, be honest, I can't stand liars."

Rachel pursed her lips. "…Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of the woman famous for winning her duels with the most aggressive fire deck in the pro leagues."

Wheels stared at the girl on the stool. "What… who are you?"

"Rachel Dorothy Wayne. I'm a freelance photographer." Rachel's eyes seemed to glint in the lamplight. "Seven years ago, you entered the professional dueling circuit. Your original deck was a straight archetype build, focused on Flamvells. You won several duels, but your record was actually about average. Your ace tuner was Flamvell Guard, if I'm correct?"

Wheels stared. "…I only had that card in my deck for my first season of pro dueling…" she mumbled. "It was there for sentimental reasons… first card I ever got…"

"When Flamvell Firedog was released, it immediately became your signature monster. You defeated several pro duelists by utilizing its ability to quickly set up synchro summons. During this time period you made a shift towards a general fire strategy, using synergy between Flamvell Pawn, Flamvell Firedog, and Rekindling." Rachel continued reciting the history of the duelist in front of her. "Your most famous victory was the one-turn kill you scored against then-favorite German champion Wolfgang Zweitmann."

Rachel paused and looked at Wheels calmly. "…I don't think I need to remind you of what happened after that."

Wheels shook her head slowly. "…You don't… you don't." She laughed bitterly. "You know a lot about me, girl. Care to explain why you're really here?"

Rachel smiled. "I'm here because a certain pro duelist who saw you in action today has his heart set on getting you for his Kaiser Cup team, and he was willing to pay me to convince you."

Wheels glared at her. "If you're talking about McFadden, that stuffed pig can go stick his invitation up his ass. I'm not coming back to the pro leagues after what they did to me, and I'm sure as hell not coming back for that son of a-"

"I was talking about Kaito Shishio, actually."

Wheels paused mid-rant. "Shishio…"

The name was familiar. Images of the young man who'd stopped her from leaving the arena flashed through her head. "Hmmm… tell him I'm not interested either. If you know about me already, you know what happened. I'm not going back to the pro leagues after that. Stay for dinner if you'd like, but you can tell Shishio's he's out of luck." Satisfied that her denial was final, the woman motored her chair back towards the kitchen.

"Perhaps I don't know the full story," Rachel said, a note of disappointment in her voice as she rose from her seat. "The Allison Schuyler I've always admired loved dueling. I'm surprised she's turning down an invitation to return to it."

The wheelchair paused. "It's too little, too late, kid," Wheels sighed. "I love this game. Don't get me wrong- that's why I stay at that damn bar, teaching those damn stupid kids trying to make it big how not to trip over themselves. But I'm done now. The bastards in the pros used me until I had nothing left and kicked me out on the streets. I'm not going back to that world."

"Not even to get revenge on them?" There was a slight lilt in Rachel's voice.

The sing-song tone in the girl's voice made Wheels pause again. "…Explain what you mean by that."

"Richard Donovan. Zachary Engle. Gregory Macarthur." Rachel listed off the names quickly without missing a beat. "All three of them will be involved in this year's Kaiser Cup… and Donovan has already announced he'll be attempting to revive the experimental format you were involved with when the incident occurred with his prize winnings."

Silence descended. Wheels rotated her chair around to look Rachel in the eyes. "Donovan?"

"Two months ago his team formation was announced. Looks like your old manager's working with him now. As for Macarthur, he's funding the whole thing. They're still pinning the blame on you." The sing-song tone was totally gone from Rachel's voice.

"…That Shishio kid knew all that?" Wheels asked, bewildered.

"No, but I thought you'd like to know all the same." Rachel stood up and tossed a ring of keys to the wheelchair-bound woman in front of her. "By the by, you might want to fire your housekeeper. You have no clue how easy it was to get my hands on these."

Slowly, a crooked grin spread across Schuyler's face. "…So that's how you did it."

"Getting into places is my specialty." Rachel giggled as she walked calmly towards the door. "So… does your answer for Shishio still stand?"

Wheels sat still for a moment and then grinned again. "Tell him to meet me at the bar at noon tomorrow, and bring the rest of his damn team too."

"Somehow I thought you'd say that." Rachel winked again. "See you then."

Wheels stared as the girl left. Mittens leaped onto her lap and mewed piteously, prompting a few strokes from the ex-pro. "…Donovan…"

She moved from the living room to the next room over- the trophy room. A large, glass case contained several awards from various tournaments, major and minor. Framed newspaper clippings adorned the walls. These things were obviously not the focus of the room, however. They were positioned off to the sides. The centerpiece was a desk with three photographs on it. Wheels moved over to the desk and picked one up.

In the photograph, a smiling man dressed in biker chic, complete with fingerless gloves, shook hands with a much younger Allison Schuyler. The woman in the photo seemed energetic, vibrant, and larger than life. "…Damn it you bastard…" Wheels growled. "Damn it. Why the hell are you doing this, huh? You promised you'd leave it be- why the hell did you need to go and break it?"

Mittens mewed again, a note of concern somehow weaving its way into the feline's voice. Slightly startled, Wheels set the photo down and realized she had been clenching it hard enough that the knuckles on her hand had turned white. As she released the frame, she caught sight of the mark on her right palm- the planet earth, in miniature, burning. "Damn it…"

* * *

"You're certain she'll come?"

Kaito, Cole, Achan and Rachel sat around the circle-shaped coffee table of Babylon International's conference room. It was Cole who had asked the question as he impatiently drummed his fingers against the arm of the office chair he sat in.

Rachel nodded. "If you knew this woman like I know her, you'd know she'd rather die than go back on something like this. She'll definitely show up- what's a gamble is whether she'll play along and join the team."

Achan raised his hand. "…Um… excuse me. Can I ask a question?"

"…This isn't class, you know, Smith," Kaito said lazily as he leaned back on the miniature sofa he'd claimed as his seat. "You don't have to wait to be called on."

Achan's face turned red with embarrassment for a moment. "…Um… well, anyway, I was just wondering… what did you do to get this meeting set up?"

"I seduced her." Rachel's tone was completely deadpan. All three males started at her for a full minute before she began giggling. "No, not like that. I just offered her some information that I knew she wouldn't be able to resist checking out. Namely… the three people responsible for her current condition are currently entered in the Kaiser Cup."

"…The people responsible? Then… someone deliberately injured her?" Achan seemed slightly confused.

"Achan…" Kaito sat up on the couch. "Does it really matter? The point is that we've got our third hotblood."

Cole shook his head. "No, it's too early to say that. We have a meeting to negotiate with our potential candidate for the final hotblood. As Miss Wayne put it, that is in itself a gamble- she might simply look at the team and turn us down."

Rachel nodded solemnly, sipping at her tea. "Allison Schuyler's just as stubborn as you, Shishio. If she decides you aren't worth it, she'll find another team to join or form her own rather than team up with you… and that'll be that."

"So?" Kaito's response was completely nonchalant, and his confidence absolute. "If that's the case, all we have to do is make sure that she likes the team."

"…As usual, Shishio, you're acting like a child…" Cole muttered.

"…Um…" Achan waved his hand again. "Hey, you guys? I think I'm going to go on ahead to the bar. I want to get some things done first."

Cole nodded. "Be there by meeting time, Smith, and don't get lost. I've heard stories about your sense of direction from Lawrence."

A blush spread across Achan's face until it reached the roots of his hair. "Um… right." He hurried out of the room.

Kaito watched him go. "...He'd be a better duelist if he wasn't so nervous. So… anything else on the agenda?"

Rachel smirked. "My payment would be nice."

Kaito and Cole glanced at each other. The manager's expression was stoic as he slowly removed his checkbook from his pocket, scrawled a figure on it, and placed it in Rachel's hands. "Miss Wayne, you've missed your calling. You have a phenomenal head for business."

"What I have is a head for people." Rachel's smirk turned into the shark grin that Kaito had learned to fear. "You'd be surprised how well you can get to know someone if you do some digging. You know who Achan Smith's father is?"

Kaito was almost afraid to ask. Almost. "Who?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Rachel replied, her shark's grin subsiding slowly back into the usual devil grin. "Have a conversation that doesn't revolve around dueling sometime, Shishio, it'd do you some good."

In retrospect, Kaito realized, he probably should have seen that answer coming.

* * *

"_Achan, when are you going to tell him?"_

Achan leaned by the entrance to the El Dorado, drinking in the crazed atmosphere of the city. "Tell who what?" he asked the floating puffball hovering above his head.

"_Aren't you going to tell Shishio that what you saw in there yesterday wasn't just a solid vision trick?" _Devi bounced up and down in the air, agitated. _"I mean, she actually-"_

"I can't tell Kaito," Achan interrupted with a sigh. "I could try, but every time I try to explain something like that both of us just end up confusing each other. He doesn't even know what duel energy is, not really." Achan glanced at the throngs of people moving by, the yellow-orange coronas that represented their energy flowing like a transparent cloud throughout the streets with the occasional off-color burst of light mixed in. "Besides, it's not really any of our business."

Devi's entire body shook in surprise. _"You can't be serious! Achan, you're talking about teaming up with a woman who can cause physical damage through duel monsters. What if she's made a pact? Have you thought about that?"_

Achan shook his head slowly. "I don't think so. If she made a pact, it was a long time ago. Her energy isn't being bled off at all." He chuckled slightly. "Besides, it's the same color as mine and Shishio's. Maybe the abilities we've got are linked?"

Devi's wings drooped as the imp swung his body from side to side- the closest gesture he could come up with to approximate shaking his head. _"You're willing to trust her unconditionally just because she has the same type of energy you do? Oh COME ON."_

"I don't know. What I do know is that she's the only other person I've ever seen with energy this color, and the only thing Kaito and I have in common is that we got marks from Creed." Achan glanced at the bar thoughtfully. "If I'm right, there's a good chance that her abilities could come from the same thing."

"_And you propose to find this out… how?"_

"I'll…" Achan's voice trailed off as he was lost in thought. "…I don't think I thought things out that far. I figured I'd just duel her and see what happened."

Devi stared. _"…You're willingly challenging someone… with the ability to physically harm people with solid vision. You're a freaking idiot."_

"Yeah, but I'm a hot-blooded idiot, right?" Achan grinned.

Devi said nothing.

"…RIGHT?"

"…_A barrier. If she attacks, I'll protect you with a barrier. That's all I can guarantee." _Devi glared at the duelist, still upset. _"I'm telling you though, confronting her directly about this is suicide. The last time we ran into somebody with this type of ability-"_

"We survived, right?" Achan finished the kuriboh's sentence. "Thanks, partner."

"_Can you find a way to say that without making me feel camp?_"

Achan pointedly ignored this comment and opened the door to the bar, leaving the streets behind.

* * *

"'Excuse me, Miss, would you like a duel?' Mmm… not assertive enough. 'Allison Schuyler, I challenge you!' Um… too assertive. 'Hey, would you like a duel?' Um… too formal. Um…" Achan scratched his head as he sat at the far end of the bar from where Wheels was currently starting into a glass of beer and muttered to himself. "Damn it, this should NOT be this hard. I just need to challenge her to a duel. How hard can that be. Um… I… goddammit, what the hell would Cloud do…"

Devi sighed in exasperation. "_She's heading for the arena."_

Achan glanced across the bar. It was true- Schuyler was already halfway to the elevator. His mouth moved before he quite thought things out. "H-Hey! Stop a moment!"

The woman whirled around and caught his eyes. "…Oh. I see. You're with that Shishio guy, aren't you?"

Achan numbly realized that the moment his eyes had met Schuyler's, he'd lost any and all desire to look away. There was fire in those eyes- fire buried somewhere deep inside her, smoldering, waiting to erupt again. The red-orange aura of her duel energy seemed to pulse and contract with each breath she took. He had the distinct feeling that he was being scrutinized- broken down to a base level, with each part of him being looked over separately, like the pieces of an engine. He shut his eyes and shook his head frantically. Where the hell were these thoughts coming from?

"You're not much of a duelist. No self-confidence." Wheels glared at Achan. Her tones were even, containing neither malice nor sympathy. "You're not worth it."

Achan felt his palms shaking. "W-worth what?" he managed to stammer.

"You came here to impress that Shishio guy, didn't you?" Wheels downed the remainder of her beer and wiped the foam from her lip. "That's why you came here alone, without the rest of your team. That's why you're here looking for me. You wanted to duel me before Shishio got here, so you could prove to him that you're a real man- not just some kid. Or maybe you just want to prove to yourself that you're not a total weakling. Whatever the reason is… you're here because you want to challenge me but you were too scared to face me head-on. Why else were you sitting on the other side of the bar without so much as a goddam drink and staring at me?"

Achan stared in horror. "…Um… no, that's not it!" he protested weakly. "I… I… I did want to duel you I just couldn't figure out how to ask because you're-"

"Scary? Admit it, kid, I scare the hell out of you." Wheels smirked. "Hope that Shishio kid's more interesting than you, or this team won't be worth a-"

"I'm NOT scared!" Achan practically shouted. The remark had stung, and his face burned hot and red. "I-I just have trouble thinking things like this out! That's all!"

"For someone who's not scared you're doing one hell of a job of keeping your cool, kid," Wheels remarked.

Achan took a deep breath. "I challenge you to a duel," he said after a moment. "I am NOT scared of you!"

"_Liar, liar."_

Achan subtly swatted Devi. "I've… I've been preparing for this match since yesterday!"

"…You had to prepare yourself specifically to fight me? You've still got no confidence, kid, and no class, either." Wheels placed a roll of cash on the bar- presumably a tip and payment for her beer. "I accept your challenge. See you in the arena."

She wheeled to the elevator and descended.

Achan breathed a sigh of relief as she left. "...She's… really, really strong. Even if I hadn't seen her duel yesterday, I could have told that about her just from this conversation…" he muttered. "…Another side effect of that mark?"

"_Last chance to back out, Achan. We can always say we had to wait for Kaito to show up."_

The teenager shook his head. "No… no, we have to take her on. We need answers-"

"_And you're sore because she said you weren't manly."_

"I'll kill you someday."

"_Sure you will."_

* * *

There was no fanfare this time- no speech to warm up the crowd, and no exchange of banter. Achan simply lifted the duel disk he had been wearing since entering the bar and activated it. Wheels lifted her own in response. The two stared for a moment, sizing each other up, and then…

"Duel."

Achan drew. "Challenger's play first! I activate…" He glanced through the contents of his hand, "Um… I play Soul Absorbtion!" The green-framed card appeared in front of him, the image of a human being slowly being reduced to rotted meat emblazoned on it. "From now on, every time either of us removes a card from play, I'll gain five hundred life points! And… summon, Wandering Shinobi!"

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, in a rush of wind, a figure appeared on Achan's field- a young girl with short, black hair dressed in the garb traditionally ascribed to ninja. She didn't appear concerned with hiding her face, however, and neither did her weapon appear to be the most subtle- a gigantic four-pronged metal star. (1500/1300)

Wheels coldly regarded the monster. "...Can you do anything else besides flashy tricks?"

Achan managed to refrain from flinching at his opponent's dismissal of his move. "Um… End turn!"

"No set cards? What's the matter, no traps?" Wheels drew almost lazily as she asked the question. It was clear that she didn't take the current duel nearly as seriously as her match against McFadden.

To her surprise, Achan chuckled. "…You'll find out."

"Good answer. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter what the case is- no traps or baiting an attack, I'll run you down all the same. I set one monster and three cards before ending my turn." Four reversed cards, one horizontal and three vertical, appeared in front of the wheelchair-bound duelist. "Your move."

Achan stared at the set cards. _Couldn't be… did she draw the same cards she had last time? If that's the case, one of them will be Curse of Darkness… in my spell-based deck, that thing is a pain. I should get rid of it as quickly as possible…_ His eyes wandered to a card he had moved to the far right of his hand immediately after drawing it. _Fortunately, I've got this thing._

"Kid. Your move." Wheels glared at him. "If you take this long to think your plays out you'll put the whole damn audience to sleep when the Kaiser Cup starts."

"Um, uh… right, right!" Achan felt his cheeks burning again, and quickly drew his card. "Um… I activate the spell card Limit Break-All Creation!"

Suddenly, a red aura erupted around Achan's shinobi. She released the oversized shuriken she had been clutching since being summoned and allowed it to remain suspended in mid-air as she closed her eyes in concentration. Slowly, the star began to rotate on its own. "Limit Break-All Creation requires me to control a Wandering Shinobi to activate, and if she isn't the only monster on my field I pay half my life points," Achan explained. "In exchange… I destroy up to three cards on the field, and the controllers of those cards draw one card for each card that was destroyed! I target all three of your set cards!"

The shuriken began to glow, and in a moment it had transformed into a sphere of light. Several rays lanced outward from it, striking at the three set cards.

"…Gotcha."

The grin on Wheels's face made even Rachel's shark-grin pale in comparison. It was an expression of complete self-satisfaction mixed with contempt. "I activate my trap card, Judgment of Anubis. By discarding a card from my hand, I can negate any spell that would destroy one of my spell or trap cards."

Achan stared in horror as the bolts of light from his Shinobi's attack were deflected by the enormous spectral image of a jackal-headed man wielding a spear. The jackal-man was obviously not content with simply defending the targeted cards- he stabbed once, impaling the shinobi, who had just enough time to utter one frantic scream before she burst into pixels. "Oh, and one of your monsters is destroyed and you take damage equal to its attack points," Wheels commented in an off-hand manner, as if this information didn't matter.

Achan flinched as several bolts of holographic lightning struck him. (4000-1500= 2500)

Wheels glared across the dueling field at her opponent. "I knew it… you're playing like a complete coward."

"Come again?" Achan stared in disbelief. "C-Coward? What the hell do you mean by that?"

"You were scared of my Curse of Darkness. That's why you were so quick to go after my set cards, even if all it meant was thinning my deck a little in the end." Wheels curled her lips in amusement. "If you had decided to go ahead and attack, this duel might have ended differently."

"I can still attack," Achan retorted. "I remove Wandering Shinobi from play to add another Limit Break-All Creation to my hand! _Limit Charging!" _As the familiar green aura bathed Achan, the card he had activated at the start of the duel pulsed, replenishing his life points. (2500+500=3000)

"Next, I can make my summon for the turn!" Achan rifled through the cards in his hand before selecting one that suited him. "I summon Wandering Fighter in attack position!"

A burst of light appeared in front of Achan before pooling into the shape of a young woman wearing light armor and leather gloves and armguards. The woman tossed her brown hair back defiantly as she looked at Achan's opponent, cracking her knuckles. (1500/1000)

Achan pointed to the set card. "Wandering Fighter, battle! Destroy that set monster! _Beat Rush!_"

The fighter moved with blinding speed, her body visible only as a blur as she dashed towards the set card. The card flipped up, revealing a purple, demonic locomotive, which was promptly sent hurtling through the air as Achan's monster suplexed it. (1400/1000)

"Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, kid. I get to draw a card from my deck to replace the one I lost for Judgment of Anubis. Thanks a bunch." Wheels added the card to her hand without another word.

"Wandering Fighter's monster effect activates as well- since it destroyed an opponent's monster as a result of battle, I draw one card from my deck," Achan countered. "_Looting!_"

"You gonna set anything else, kid, or are you ending your turn?" Wheels growled as Achan drew.

"I've got nothing to set," Achan replied. "I end my turn."

The moment Wheels drew, Achan was convinced that she and Rachel had to be related. He'd only seen the reporter's shark grin once, but it had left a distinct impression on him, and seeing a grin so close to it made him shudder. "I activate my set Blasting Vein- I destroy my other set card in order to draw two cards from my deck."

Achan was taken aback. "Blasting Vein? Then-" He choked slightly before he could finish his sentence. _Then that whole thing was a trap. She set a monster and three cards just to mirror her opening during her duel yesterday… so she could bait me into trying to wipe them all out. She totally read my move before I even made it…_

"Figured it out, didn't you, rookie?" Wheels laughed mirthlessly. "You fell for that trap… now it's time to pay the penalty. Spell card, Brain Control! I pay eight hundred life points to take control of your monster until the end phase." (4000-800= 3200)

Achan could only watch in horror as a pair of green hands grabbed his fighter, pulling the monster to his opponent's side of the field. Wheels selected another card from her hand and placed it on her duel disk. "Ally of Justice- Cyclone Creator in attack position!"

With a loud, mechanical squawk, a robotic bird of some sort appeared next to Achan's stolen Fighter. The automaton screeched as a whirlwind built up around its claws, propelling it into the air. (1400/1000)

Achan recognized the monster. "A level three tuner…"

Wheels snapped her fingers. "Ally of Justice- Cyclone Creator, level three, Wandering Fighter, level four, tuning!"

The metal bird screeched loudly, a tornado picking up around its body. Wandering Fighter, despite her best efforts to resist the wind, was drawn into it. Three green rings shone through the barrier of wind, and the fighter exploded into four stars, which slowly aligned themselves. A column of flames began to form as Wheels chanted. "_All my bitterness… all my rage… all my hatred! The pain I've suffered, transform and take revenge! Synchro summon… Ride them all down, Vengeance Hellrider!"_

With the sound of revving engines the demonic biker gunned its way out of the column of flames, which erupted into a pyroclasm in its wake. It screeched to a halt just in front of Achan, grinning sadistically as it revved the engines of the bike. (1700/1000)

Achan stared in horror and fascination as he watched the cloud of red-orange fog that surrounded Wheels drift over the monster- only in a very limited amount, but still enough to coat it. "So that's it…" he muttered.

"Vengeance Hellrider gains attack points each turn equal to the life points I lose. That's from costs OR effects." Wheels gestured to the monster. "Since I paid eight hundred life points to activate Brain Control, Hellrider currently has two thousand five hundred attack points… and his effect allows me to damage my own life points by one thousand to ride you down. End of the line, kid…" An expression of twisted pity appeared on her face. "If you weren't such a chicken, maybe you'd have survived longer. Vengeance Hellrider, direct attack. _Devil Exhaust! Highway to Hell!_" (3200-1000= 2200)

The demonic biker screamed triumphant as it revved its engines. Achan stood paralyzed as the creature charged towards him. (3500/1000)

_Don't just stand there like an idiot, Smith. You're still in control of this duel, aren't you? Or did you forget the effects of your own cards?_

Achan felt his heart skip a beat. That voice… who was that voice? It was familiar- not Devi, though. The voice was female. His own cards… what did it…?

"_Achan, hurry up and use me!"_

That voice, on the other hand, was unmistakable. Jarred back to reality, Achan slipped a monster into his duel disk's graveyard slot. "Monster effect activate! _Devil Shield!_"

Hellrider's attack suddenly rebounded as a barrier of red lightning appeared in the hellish biker's path. Its wheels scraped uselessly against the barrier for a moment, and then the monster hurtled backwards towards its owner's field, crashing into Wheels as it moved. The wheelchair-bound duelist gasped in surprise as the impact sent her chair rolling backward to the far end of the arena. "Wh… What the hell was that?" she gasped. (2200-1750= 450)

Achan panted heavily, as if the strain of negating the attack had put a drain on his system. The ghostly image of a devilish Kuriboh appeared over his shoulder, mocking his opponent. "…Devil Kuriboh's monster effect… I can discard it to halve the damage I'd take from one direct attack. Then you take damage to your life points equal to damage I take…" (3000-1750= 1250)

_There you go, Smith. You've got a winning hand already. Do I need to spell it out for you?_

Achan shook his head, trying to clear it. What _was_ that voice? It was so… so familiar.

"Kid. You're up."

"Oh, um, sorry," Achan stammered as Wheels frowned at him. "I was just… er…"

"You're funny."

The words took Achan by surprise. "Come again?"

"I said you're funny. You look like a timid kid, but you haven't played a single set card this duel. Usually players who get that nervous turtle up. Got an explanation for that?"

Achan chuckled softly. "Well, the truth is… I can't turtle up. I don't have any trap cards."

Wheels nodded with satisfaction. "Figured as much. Your opening hand must not have had any."

_Go on, Smith. Surprise her._

Achan chuckled. "No, I mean I literally have no traps." He removed his deck from his duel disk and fanned it out quickly before returning it.

Wheels frowned. "…What?"

"I don't run a single trap card in this deck. I never have and I never will," Achan declared proudly as he drew. "I only run monsters or spell cards, period, and I only have two monsters with defensive effects."

Achan wasn't sure what kind of a reaction he'd been expecting, but Wheels bursting into uncontrollable laughter certainly wasn't it. "So you _have_ got some kind of guts down in there, kid," the duelist laughed. "Alright, then, let's see you come at me!"

Achan frowned. "I activate the effect of Wandering Fighter, removing it from play to add Limit Break-Raging Fist to my hand. In addition, I gain five hundred life points from the effect of Soul Absorption. _Limit Charging!_" Energy crackled as Achan's duel disk ejected the card. (1250 + 500 = 1750)

He revealed the next card in his hand. "I summon Wandering Hero in attack position!"

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with all the dramatic fanfare suited to his image, Achan's signature monster dropped from the ceiling into the center of the arena before throwing back his green cape. The Hero and Hellrider stared at each other for a moment, as if testing each other's strength. (1700/1200)

Achan pointed dramatically at the demon biker. "And since you ended your turn, Hellrider's attack points have dropped to their original score!"

It was true. Hellrider itself didn't seem concerned, however, as it revved its engines all the more menacingly. (1700/1000)

"Now… Wandering Hero's effect activates. _Equip Selection! _I discard a monster card to search my deck for any equip spell card and play it… so I'll discard Wandering Mage in order to search for Mage Power!" Achan pointed upwards dramatically as a sword formed from sparking green energy appeared in the hero's hands. "By this spell's effect, my Hero will gain five hundred attack points for every spell or trap card I control! (2700/1200)

_Smith, I keep underestimating just how much of an idiot you really are._

Achan frowned, attempting to ignore the voice as a card popped out of his graveyard slot. "I'll also remove Wandering Mage from play to add Limit Break- Beast Shift to my hand. Soul Absorption increases my life points further as a result!" (1750 + 500 = 2250)

Wheels chuckled. "Looks like you know how to make a reversal play, at least."

Three set cards appeared on the field behind the Hero- all three of the Limit Break spells Achan had drawn earlier. "Wandering Hero's attack points have hit their maximum!" he shouted, obviously enjoying himself.(4200/1200)

"Hmph." Wheels glared at the monster. "Come at me if you're so damn cock-sure of victory, then."

Something in the tone of her voice caused Achan to hesitate- but only for a moment. "Wandering Hero, attack Vengeance Hellrider! _Braver!_"

The hero gripped his sword with both hands and leaped into the air, high above the opposing monster to deliver a fatal blow with his massive blade.

Or rather, attempted. The moment the blade crashed down a barrier of green energy crackled into being between the monsters. The hero was forced back, skidding to Achan's field as the barrier dissipated into a green aura that surrounded Wheels. Her demon-grin, Achan noted, had returned, and wasn't any less intimidating than it had been the first time he'd seen it. "Draining Shield, kid. I gain life points equal to your monster's attack points, and your attack is cancelled." (450 + 4200 = 4650)

"That's…" Achan gasped.

_That's why you're an idiot, Smith._

Achan glanced at the cards remaining in his hand and immediately saw what the voice was talking about. Chiron the Sage… if he had summoned that monster instead of Hero, he could have destroyed that set card before it was used and left Wheels without a life point buffer, and with no defense for her Hellrider. Now her life points were higher than they'd been at any other point in the duel, and she had control of her best monster. Whoever had been helping him was right- he _was_ an idiot.

_Idiot._

"You don't have to rub it in…" he muttered under his breath, conscious of exactly how whiny the remark sounded.

Wheels drew. "Game over, kid. I summon Twin-Barrel Dragon in attack position."

The monster was strange-looking to say the least- a mechanical, armless dinosaur of some sort with a gigantic revolver in place of a head. (1700/200)

Achan frowned. "…What do you mean 'game over'?"

"Let's test your luck," Wheels replied. "When I summon Twin-Barrel Dragon I get to pick any one of your cards, then toss two coins. If both are heads, that card is destroyed." The creature suddenly began to charge both revolvers, as Wheels pointed at Achan's Mage Power. "My target… is that card!"

"But… there's only a one-in-four chance that'll work!" Achan argued. "I can still win!"

"…You don't get it, kid. You lost the moment I flipped that trap card," Wheels replied calmly. Behind her, a pair of gigantic holographic coins flipped into the air and hung suspended in space for a moment before displaying two heads. She grinned viciously as she pointed at Achan's card again. "Twin-Barrel Dragon, blow it away. _Trigger Full Burst!_"

"No way…" Achan muttered as the hammer of Twin-Barrel's revolver moved back slowly and then fired two rounds of green energy. The Wandering Hero had just enough time to bring up his blade as a defense before both shots hit, annihilating the sword. (1700/1200)

Wheels pointed to her Hellrider. "Now I'll attack with my monster, and activate its initial effect. I take one thousand points of damage to seal your spells and traps until the end of the battle phase, which will also increase my monster's attack points. _Devil Exhaust!" _(4650-1000=3650)

The devil biker's tires screeched as a jet of flames washed over Wheels. The grinning demon gripped the accelerator and revved the bike to its maximum speed as it bore down on Achan's monster, its owner's command ringing in the background. "_Highway to Hell!_" (2700/1000)

The bike struck Achan's monster at full speed, flinging it away like a rag doll. Achan flinched again, expecting the physical impact to come any moment. (2200- 1000= 1200)

The biker, however, slowed to a halt. He leered at Wheels expectantly, as if waiting for an order, but the duelist shook her head. The biker slowly wheeled back to his position on her field, apparently slightly disappointed. Instead, Wheels pointed to her other monster. "Twin-Barrel Dragon, finish him. _Double Magnum!_"

Twin bolts of green energy struck Achan, and his life points flatlined. (1200 – 1700 = 0)

Achan stared at his opponent as the holograms faded. "…You didn't attack me like you did McFadden…"

"That asshole? You don't deserve that kind of pain…" Wheels replied, practically spitting out the sentence. "You aren't a pig, not like him. What you _are_ is a disappointment. I haven't taken damage from my opponent's attacks in a long time, and you manage to block my kill… and then you fall flat on your face? Zero sense, idiot." She began to wheel out of the arena. "If you're the best that Shishio kid's got to offer as a team mate, tell him I'm looking somewhere else for partners."

Achan could only stare at her back. "…B-but you only won because you got lucky! If you hadn't won that coin toss…"

Wheels whirled and flashed a card to Achan. "Recognize this? I've had this damn thing in my hand since the first turn."

Achan gulped. "L-limiter removal?"

"Yes, Limiter Removal. What the hell does it look like?" Wheels growled. "If I'd missed that shot all I had to do was suicide my dragon into your damn spiky-haired hero and then play this thing. I'd have run your life points down in one shot. Now kid, you want my advice? Get some damn lessons before you head into the pro leagues. I'm through."

Achan stood in place, gasping for air. The stupidity of his loss hit him like a brick. If he had been thinking clearly, he could have won. No, he would have won. The voice had told him he had a winning hand…

…Who the hell was that voice?

"Hey, give the kid a break. He did better against me."

Wheels and Achan both turned. Kaito leaned next to the elevator, grinning wildly. Cole and Rachel stood off to the side, along with Lawrence, both managers holding a glass of scotch. "Shishio," Wheels growled. "Don't make excuses for him. If he did better against you, maybe that says something about the difference in our skill levels, doesn't it? I'm not teaming with a bunch of weaklings, and that's final."

"Well, I'm not letting you team with anyone else," Kaito replied stubbornly. "If beating you is what it takes to convince you to join, I'll take you on myself and-"

"…Nobody's asking you to join up with weaklings, Miss Schuyler." Rachel's voice cut across the arena.

Wheels took a closer look at her. "…You're from last night…"

Rachel nodded. "I understand you not wanting to join because of your dissatisfaction with Smith… but I think I have a settlement that'll please everybody. I talked it over with Mr. Matthews earlier by phone, and he agreed with me."

Kaito and Achan both whirled to look at Rachel. "I didn't hear anything about a settlement…" Kaito muttered, growing noticeably more apprehensive.

"Talk," Wheels said.

"The settlement is this… you join Team Hotbloods for the Kaiser Cup. In exchange…" Kaito shuddered as Rachel's shark grin spread across the young woman's face, "We make you the team's official leader."

"W-what? Hold on, why do you get to decide that!" Kaito protested.

"Kaito, I thought you said you wanted Miss Schuyler for the team… and besides, you did agree that you would go with whoever I chose for team leader as long as you were allowed to duel to your heart's content," Cole replied. "For once I found Miss Wayne's solution quite… intriguing."

Kaito bit his lip for a moment and pouted like a child denied his favorite toy. "…Someday I'll kill you for this, Matthews," he muttered. "Alright, fine, I'm on board for this scheme too. Just wish people would talk to me before they decide things like this."

Rachel, meanwhile, kept steady eye contact with Wheels. "…What do you say, Miss Schuyler? I'd appreciate it if you agreed…"

Wheels smirked as she looked at the younger girl. "I'm in. If I'm going to have to set sail on a ship of fools, I'd like to at least be the damn captain."

* * *

"They finally met up, Creed. The team is formed."

Creed nodded his thanks to his companion- a tall, well-built man dressed in a muscle shirt who sported an outrageously long black ponytail. "Thank you for the report, Bernard."

Bernard cracked his knuckles. "So what now? Do we test them further, or offer our assistance?"

Creed grinned. "I rather like the idea of doing both, don't you?"

"So you're going in as an alternate?"

"Of course," Creed chuckled. "And you're welcome to come along too, if you want."

The man with the ponytail laughed. "…This will be fun."

* * *

**FAKE CARD REPORT**

**Wandering Fighter**

_Monster/Earth/Warrior/Effect/4*_

Atk 1500/Def 1000_  
_

When this card destroys an opponent's monster as a result of battle, draw one card. You can remove this card in your graveyard from play to add one "Limit Break-Raging Fist" from your deck to your hand.

**Wandering Shinobi**

_Monster/Wind/Warrior/Effect/4*_

Atk 1500/Def 1200

Once per turn, you can send a spell card from your hand to the graveyard to add a non-tuner "Wandering" monster from your deck to your hand. You can remove this card in your graveyard from play to add one "Limit Break-All Creation" from your deck to your hand.

**Limit Break-All Creation**

_Normal Spell_

You can only activate this card if you control a face-up "Wandering Shinobi". If "Wandering Shinobi" is not the only monster you control, pay half your life points. Destroy up to three cards on the field. The controller(s) of the destroyed card(s) draw one card for each of their cards destroyed in this way.

**Devil Kuriboh**

_Monster/Dark/Fiend/Effect/1*_

Atk 300/Def 200

When you would take damage from a direct attack, you can discard this card to halve that damage and inflict damage to your opponent's life points equal to the damage you took.

(Thanks to Comedy of Circumstances for the fixed Devil Kuriboh).


	5. Chapter 5

**Yu-Gi-Oh! Burning Red**

_Game Five: A Fierce Lion, a Valiant Knight! Burning Soul Sword vs. King of the Veldt!_

Cole cleared his throat. "Alright, it's time we called this business meeting of Team Hotbloods to order. All are present and accounted for?"

Kaito shifted positions on the small sofa off to the side of the coffee table. "…Cole, we're all here, just cut to the good part."

The manager sighed. "Very well, then."

Light streamed through the windows of Babylon International's thirtieth-floor conference room, the site of the day's meeting. The members of Team Hotbloods had pulled furniture into a circle around a small coffee table, and were currently paying rapt attention to Cole- with the exception of Achan, who seemed preoccupied with his deck as he shuffled the cards around. His manager looked on, slightly concerned. "…Achan, you can modify the deck later. Right now it's time for business," Lawrence chided.

Achan sighed and slipped the cards back into their box. "…Yes sir," he mumbled, as if he were a naughty child just scolded for stealing candy.

Wheels rolled her eyes. "…So you were saying?"

"Er-herm," Cole began, slightly flustered by the interruptions. "As you all know, the Kaiser Cup will begin in two weeks. Before this, I thought it would be best if we came to a decision on the matter of our final two team members."

"…Final two?" Achan sat up in surprise. "I thought you said that she was the final hotblood!" He pointed to Wheels.

"…Kid, I _do _have a name," Wheels growled. Achan's cheeks turned a bright shade of pink.

Cole turned to Lawrence. "…Mr. Lawrence, don't tell me you didn't fill your client in on this year's official format."

Lawrence sighed. "My apologies. Must have slipped my mind."

Cole rolled his eyes and returned his attention to Achan. "The Kaiser Cup is a team event- teams can be from three to five members. However, in each round of the tournament, only three members of a given team will duel. The remaining two members are optional- alternates, if you will."

Achan frowned for a moment as he worked out what Cole had said. Suddenly, his face brightened. "Oh, so it's just like in Beyblade?"

Everyone stared at Achan blankly. After a moment he muttered "…I'll shut up now."

"…Ahem… Mr. Smith's analysis of the format aside, this is an important question," Cole continued, coughing politely. "Teams for the Cup are already consolidating. If we don't act now, all eligible candidates for alternate duelists will have signed to another team. I've taken the liberty of compiling a list of names…"

"Don't bother."

Everyone turned to stare at Rachel as she grinned at them, hellfire practically springing up in her wake. "I've done some digging myself. The last veteran duelists in the area just formally registered as a team. The only alternates you're going to get will have to be newbies or flown in from out of state. Your choice, Mr. Matthews."

Kaito reclined back in the sofa. "…Newbies, huh. Hey, Wheels, can you think of anyone from that bar of yours?"

Wheels shot him a withering look and shook her head. "They're all green. None of the kids down there are ready for singles, they'd burn out in five minutes if they actually made it into the pros. Stay away from them." It was a command, not a piece of advice.

* * *

Creed adjusted his pinstriped blazer's sleeve as he glanced up at the mammoth tower of Babylon International Headquarters. He twirled the cane he had used during his duel against Kaito. "Bernard, are you ready?"

"Almost," the other man replied. He stood out in the bitter cold of winter, and his choice of clothing caused more than a few passers-by to stare at him- muscular as he was, there was no possible way that a black muscle shirt and grey sweatpants were sufficient to keep out the cold. His black ponytail added to the bizarre spectacle, dropping nearly to his knees in length.

Creed sighed as he rapped his cane against the ground impatiently. "You're absolutely _certain_ that you need this much preparation for a single duel?"

"My opponent is a man with the power to defy fate. If I fought him without preparing myself fully, my loss would be certain," Bernard replied, crossing his arms as his brow furrowed in concentration.

"…And with this much time spent preparing, how much chance do you have of winning?" Creed asked with a slightly bitter edge to his voice.

"Even." Bernard's brow relaxed, and he gently tapped the duel disk on his left arm. A slight shimmer surrounded the deck slot and a moment later it was completely filled. "Done. I've created a weapon worthy of this duel."

"You make it sound like we're going in there to challenge him to a joust," Creed chuckled.

"In many ways, I find the contest similar. Two warriors facing each other on the battlefield, neither with the intent of killing another, testing their strength and skill." Bernard grinned.

Creed couldn't restrain himself. He burst into a fit of laughter that lasted nearly a full minute. Once he was finished he snapped his fingers. A ripple appeared in the air in front of him- nearly invisible. "Shall we?"

Bernard nodded and stepped through without answering.

* * *

Kaito could have sworn he smelled something in the air even before Achan stood up and yelled "Stand back!" The odor was a curious mixture of aftershave and sweat, and his nostrils wrinkled. A moment after Achan's shout, the room was suddenly occupied by two additional people. The first, a man wearing a pinstriped leisure suit and twirling a cane, had the decency to at least stand off to the side so as not to disrupt proceedings. The second man, on the other hand, materialized on the coffee table.

Rachel was the first to react to the invasion. The teacup she had been daintily sipping from throughout the conversation suddenly left her hand and whirled in an arc towards the man sitting on the table. In a blur of movement the man's hand whipped out. The teacup burst into shards and landed around his feet. He glanced at his hand for a moment, surveying it for damage. Achan stared in horror. "…Both of them… they're eating their own energy…"

The man in the blazer grinned. "Shishio, Smith, Schuyler. So good to see you again."

Kaito leaped from the sofa in surprise. "Creed!"

"Yes." The man in the blazer tossed his cane from one hand to the other and made a sweeping bow to the occupants of the room. "Delighted you remember me, Shishio, I thought you'd forgotten the duelist who had 'nothing unique' about his deck."

"I didn't forget either!" Achan shouted, recovering from the surprise of Creed's unusual entrance. "You never explained to me what you are."

"Creed? So that's your name you sonuvabitch." Wheels whirled in her chair to face him. "Care to explain what the hell you meant by putting this mark on my hand?"

Kaito shook his fist. "Answers Creed. Start talking or I'll-"

"There's no need for physical violence, Shishio, so please calm down." Creed smiled wanly as he motioned for the three hotbloods to sit back down. "Now… in answer to your question…" he curled his lips into a cruel grin. "Why yes, Creed _is_ my surname. My full name is Joshua Edward Creed. Nice to meet you."

Rachel leaped from her chair to restrain Wheels, who had nearly opened the throttle on her wheelchair and run the man down. "Talk, you bastard!" she practically screamed. "You just walked into my house the other night, not so much as a by-your-leave, and then you stuck this damn mark on me! Next thing I have to concentrate to make sure I don't accidentally blow some kid's head off when I get angry! Got anything to say about that?"

"I was right!" Achan shouted triumphantly. The group turned to stare at him and he chuckled slightly before stepping back. "…Um… right. I'll wait to talk again."

Creed grinned triumphantly. "Unfortunately, I'm not in the mood to offer information for free. Instead my associate and I came to offer you all a proposal… a trade if you will. Bernard, why don't you introduce yourself?"

Kaito ducked as the man on the coffee table launched himself into the air and flipped over the Lion of the East's head. He landed beside Creed and turned nonchalantly, apparently quite used to this sort of behavior. "Hello. My name is Bernard Hall. I've come here to make a formal challenge to Mr. Kaito Shishio."

Cole glared at the intruders. "I'm afraid a formal match is out of the question Mr. Hall, and your little entrance, dramatic as it was, has put a bit of a damper on negotiations."

"Be that as it may, this is a challenge of Mr. Shishio's pride as a duelist. You cannot interfere." Bernard inclined his head slightly. "If your honor is challenged, you have an obligation to follow through or accept your weakness."

"And besides that, I feel highly inclined to withhold any information about the marks I gave you three whatsoever until my friend here has his challenge met," Creed continued, his voice layered with false sweetness. "Well?"

Kaito walked toward Bernard slowly. He looked the taller man in the eye for a moment, standing up on the tips of his feet to do so. After a moment he held out a hand. "Five minutes. I'll see you on the roof in five minutes. If I win, explain who the hell you are and what you're doing."

Bernard grinned and accepted the handshake. "I look forward to this test of strength."

Creed snapped. A moment later, the air rippled and he and Bernard were gone.

The group sat in silence for a moment. Rachel was the first to break it. "…Will anyone please explain just what in the name of God happened here?"

"Not a damn clue." Wheels gritted her teeth in frustration.

"If he wanted a duel, he could've just asked," Kaito grumbled as he reached behind the sofa he'd been reclining on moments before and picked up his duel disk. "At least this way I can finally beat some answers out of that snake."

Achan shook his head. "They aren't right. Normal humans just give off energy… they produce energy like people do, but it's the wrong color, and they're eating it. That… it's not supposed to work that way. I mean, that's like taking a human and a spirit and shoving them into one body. It's just wrong, wrong, wrong…" his voice trailed off.

Wheels stared at him. "…Does he do that a lot?"

Lawrence finally found his voice. "Surprisingly often lately, I'm afraid. I didn't quite know what to make of his stories about a strange man who gave him a tattoo and vanished, but now I'm rather inclined to believe them."

Cole glanced in Kaito's direction. "…I suppose this means I owe you an apology for not taking your word for it when you tried to explain what happened that night then?"

"Yes." Kaito slipped his duel disk into place on his arm and fastened it securely. "Anyway, I've got a challenge to take."

"Not without me you aren't." Rachel glared at Kaito venomously. "There's something wrong here. Something _very_ wrong. And I intend to find out just what the hell that is."

"I'm coming too." Achan shivered slightly as he raised his hand. "I want to find out just what those two are."

"And I want some answers too, damn it." Wheels looked Kaito in the eye. "Got any objections?"

A wild look spread across Kaito's face. His lips curled into a satisfied grin. "None. The more of an audience I've got, the better. I could feel it when they showed up- this is going to be a fun duel. Hell of a lot more fun than against Creed."

"You're just making that up, aren't you?" Rachel practically sang.

"No, he's serious. He has that look in his eyes again." Cole sighed and stood up. "...Good luck, Kaito."

* * *

"I assume you have a reason for summoning me here?" The elderly man with red-tinted glasses pushed them up on his nose slightly. "It seems odd to respond to a challenge by inviting me to watch a duel, after all."

His companion, another elderly man wearing a brown felt fedora that helped him stand out among the throngs of people packed into the arena's stands, chuckled. "It seemed appropriate enough to me. After all, you began your challenge by informing me of the distinguished careers of two of your chosen duelists. I see no reason why I should not respond with a similar boast."

The man with red sunglasses allowed himself to quirk an eyebrow for a moment. "You're not meeting my chosen ones personally?"

"A god doesn't trouble himself with mortals until they become a true nuisance," the fedora wearing man fired back. "Under other circumstances I might have chosen to meet your proxies myself, but until I see evidence for myself that they truly are a threat I believe my own chosen duelists will be appropriate enough opponents. After all… it is their 'fate' to win."

"No doubt a fate foreordained from the beginning of time." The sarcasm in the man's voice was biting.

"Of course. I simply chose those destined to become victors in this Kaiser Cup. They're no less deserving than your Hotbloods, you must agree. All are passionate duelists who have accepted their roles in destiny- the perfect opponents for a contest such as this one."

The man in the sunglasses sneered. "Are you really so arrogant as to rely blindly on destiny when I have chosen a man with the ability to break through fate itself as my representative?"

"I do not doubt your power, 'elder'," the man in the fedora laughed. "Not for a moment. But the walls of fate can be reinforced by a strong will as easily as they are broken. This is why I've decided that this man will be the one to face your chosen ones- look."

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ARE YOU READY? THE FINAL EXHIBITION MATCH BEFORE THE KAISER CUP COMMENCES IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!"

A roar echoed throughout the stadium as two men walked toward the center of the arena. The elder instantly knew which of the two his rival had been referring to- a tall man with dark hair and a pair of wire-rimmed glasses who greeted his opponent with a smile before raising his duel disk- a silver colored custom model with a central hub that winked and shone like the surface of a black opal in the stadium's lights. The man reached up and adjusted his glasses.

"OUR DUELISTS TODAY ARE ANOTHER PAIR OF FAN FAVORITES- FIRST, REPRESENTING THE CAPITAL CITY OF OUR NATION… BENJAMIN SKYE, THE MAN OF JUSTICE!"

The elder took a good look at the opponent of his rival's chosen duelist for the first time- a rather flashy individual, dressed in gaudy primary colors that brought to mind comic book characters more easily than they did professional card-game players. He pointed into the air as his fans began to scream ecstatically.

"AND HIS OPPONENT… HAILING FROM THE WESTERN SHORES OF CALIFORNIA… THE DRAGON OF THE WEST, YUSUKE TENDOU!"

The elder turned to his companion as the Dragon accepted the cheers of his fans. "…Coincidence?"

"Fate," the other replied stoically.

The arena lapsed into silence for a moment as both duelists sized each other up. Then, in unison, both shouted. "Duel!"

"AND THE GAME HAS BEGUN! THE DRAGON OF THE WEST WILL TAKE THE FIRST TURN! HOW WILL HE START THIS DUEL?"

A single horizontal card appeared in front of Tendou. "I end my turn." (????/????)

Skye pointed at his opponent, grinning madly. "Let me say this to start… In a battle against a dragon, a hero never falters!" His fans roared approval as their champion drew.

The Dragon of the West responded by looking his opponent straight in the eye and brushing a gloved hand along a solitary strand of blue hair that hung along the side of his face. "In a battle of duelists, the creature within their heart is not the factor that will determine victory. The duelist whose fate is stronger will always win."

Skye's hand faltered as he drew. "Is that… is that your way of saying that you don't think I can beat you?"

"That is my way of saying that your grandstanding is immaterial. Victory will go to those who heaven chooses, and no one else. Your pride is meaningless!" The Dragon of the West's voice was absolute. A cheer from his supporters in the stands swelled to fill the arena.

Skye grimaced. "…You… arrogant son of a…" He revealed the card he had drawn. "I'll start by summoning Elemental Hero Prisma, in attack position!"

A strange being made entirely of crystal rose up on Skye's field. Its green body caught and reflected each beam of light that touched it, creating a prism effect that sent rainbows lancing around the stadium. (1700/1000)

"Now, my monster's ability activates… I send any fusion material monster from my deck to the graveyard and Prisma will copy its name until the end phase! I reveal my Elemental Hero- The Earth…" A fusion monster's hologram hovered over Skye's head momentarily before vanishing, "And I'll send Elemental Hero Woodsman to the graveyard! _Prisma Refract!_"

Prisma's body began to shine as its jewel-like surface reflected the image of a hero made entirely from wood who seemed to blend into the forest surrounding him. Skye held up his next card. "Now, prepare yourself! I activate the spell card Polymerization! My Prisma on the field will fuse with the Elemental Hero Voltic in my hand… creating a force you cannot hope to stop!"

The two heroes twisted and merged, transforming into a burning aura of light. Slowly a figured emerged- a tall warrior completely covered in white armor. A gigantic golden arch rose up behind him, prongs lancing away from it like rays of light from a sunburst. Skye swept his hand across the arena. "Behold! Elemental Hero… The SHINING!" (2600/2100)

"AS PREDICTED, THE MAN OF JUSTICE HAS SUMMONED HIS STRONGEST MONSTER DURING HIS FIRST MOVE! BUT HOW WILL HE FOLLOW THIS PLAY UP?"

"Now… behold, the power of justice will create a miracle! The spell card Miracle Fusion! I fuse my Prisma and Woodsman in the graveyard!" The air in front of Skye rippled as Woodsman and Prisma rose from it. Both monsters flew in synch and their images seemed to blur together for a moment before solidifying into a second gigantic hero- a mirror image of the first Shining. Both warriors gazed down at the dragon of the west imperiously, glaring at him from the single visible eye on both of their masks. Skye pointed into the air. "And due to The Shining's monster effect… it gains three hundred attack points for all of my Elemental Heroes that have been removed from the game! Its current attack points are greater than the legendary dragon's!" (3200/2100 x2)

"AMAZING! TWO MONSTERS WITH OVER THREE THOUSAND ATTACK POINTS IN A SINGLE TURN! IF THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF OUR DUEL, WHAT WILL THE CLIMAX BE LIKE?"

Skye pointed at the set monster on his opponent's field. "Now… The Shining, attack! _Shining Knuckle!_" An aura of light gathered around the hero's fist as it charged the horizontal card that stood between it and Tendou.

The dragon of the west looked on idly as his monster exploded, even as the second elemental hero brought down its hands upon his head like a massive hammer. (4000-3200= 800)

Skye grinned. "I'll set a card and call it a turn! What do you think of that?"

"IT'S ONLY HIS FIRST PLAY, AND SKYE HAS ALREADY QUARTERED HIS OPPONENT'S LIFE POINTS!"

Tendou regarded his opponent's field coldly. "…Your fate must be strong indeed," he said slowly, "Because clearly either your skill or self-control are lacking."

Skye's mouth dropped open for a moment. Then he found his voice. "S-say that again!"

"Summoning your strongest monster on the first move is an impressive play, but simply flooding your field in this way without any attempt to capitalize on it by defeating your opponent is a doomed strategy," the dragon replied calmly. "However, even had you played intelligently…" He revealed the contents of his hand. "You would still have lost today. Heaven has granted me certain victory."

Skye continued to grit his teeth. "P-prove it!"

"I activate Future Fusion," Tendou declared, revealing a purple-backed card depicting a five-headed creature. "This will allow me to send the fusion materials for any monster in my extra deck to the graveyard and summon it within two turns. I choose my Five-Headed Dragon, allowing me to send any five dragon-type monsters to the graveyard." He carefully selected each card, sliding them all into the graveyard one by one. "Next I will summon… the tuner monster, Debris Dragon!"

A wind built up on the Dragon of the West's field, transforming into a small, white dragon with thick skin and an incredibly large proboscis. The creature roared before immediately crouching down in defense position, hissing angrily at both of Skye's warriors. (1000/2000)

Tendou waved a hand, and a small egg with a thick red-and-brown shell burst from the earth near his dragon. "By my Debris Dragon's effect, I can summon any monster in my graveyard with fewer than five hundred attack points to the field. My Hatchling- Volcanic Kin is reborn!" (0/1500)

Skye frowned. "Only a level two monster… there's no level six dragon synchro capable of defeating my heroes!" He leaped back in alarm as his set card shattered. (4000-500= 3500)

"Stamping Destruction destroys any one of your spell or trap cards and deals you five hundred points of damage if I control a dragon-type monster. And…" The Dragon of the West simply smiled and snapped his fingers. Orange light flared from Debris Dragon's chest as it burst into a series of four green rings which encircled his egg. "My level two Hatchling tunes to my level four Debris Dragon. _When your nest is threatened, become the shield of earth… synchro summon, Brood Guardian!_"

The colorful display created by the synchro summon died down, revealing a white dragon that appeared to have lost its power of flight- its wings seemed practically vestigial, and it made no effort to move them. Two bull-like horns jutted from either side of the monster's scalp, and a ridge of spikes ran the length of its back. It rose to two legs and roared loudly, causing the occupants of the arena to jump in surprise. (2300/2000)

"Is that all?" Skye laughed. "That's nothing compared to-"

Tendou ignored his opponent's ranting. He snapped again, and two more eggs rose from the ground- the red-and-brown egg that had been summoned earlier by Debris Dragon's effect, and a new green-and-blue egg that shimmered in the stadium's lights. "My Brood Guardian's effect lets me special summon two dragon-type monsters with less than five hundred attack points from the graveyard to my field, such as my Hatchling- Volcanic Kin and Hatchling- Storm Kin. Neither of them can be attacked so long as it remains in play." As if to illustrate his words, the gigantic dragon crooned as it nuzzled both eggs. (0/1500 x2)

Suddenly, cracks ran throughout the red-and-brown egg and it burst. A bronze-scaled hatchling crawled from it, tentatively reaching up towards the maternal Brood Guardian, which smiled in approval. Tendou pointed to the young creature. "There comes a time when all children must cast away their childhood and become adults. I tribute my Hatchling-Volcanic Kin for its own effect, special summoning a fire or earth-attribute dragon-type monster with a level equal to or less than its own from my hand or graveyard. Come forth from my graveyard… the tuner monster, Magna Drago!"

The bronze-scaled hatchling chirped loudly before leaping into the air. It was bathed in a cocoon of flames momentarily before metamorphosing into a serpentine red dragon with large, pointed horns jutting from the crest at the back of its head. Spurts of flame shot from the creature's mouth. (1400/600)

The elder leaned forward from the stands. "…He's going to summon…"

The Dragon of the West pointed at each of his monsters. "The time has now come for the Scourge of Heaven to arrive! Level two Magna Drago, level six, Brood Guardian, and level two, Hatchling-Storm Kin! Tuning!"

The serpentine dragon bit its own tail before spontaneously igniting, transforming into a ring of flame that bathed both of the remaining dragons. Three tall pillars of fire rose behind Tendou as he chanted. "_From beneath the mountain of the Titans comes a slumbering force of destruction! Break your chains, Scourge of Heaven! Synchro summon- Ravage, Trident Dragion!"_

The pillars of flame broke apart, releasing the monster trapped inside. Three fanged jaws opened, releasing streams of flame that played across the battlefield. The three-headed dragon roared in triumph. (3000/2800)

Skye laughed nervously. "…So what?"

Future Fusion exploded. Tendou glared at his opponent. "When Trident Dragion is synchro summoned, I destroy up to two of my own cards, and it gains an additional attack for each card destroyed. I will destroy only Future Fusion… leaving me free to play the final card of this duel."

Skye's eyes widened. "…That card…"

Tendou grinned for the second time during the entire duel's proceedings. "Riryoku- the first card I ever received as a duelist, kept in my deck as a reminder that the weakest can defeat the strongest if destiny chooses them. I will halve the attack points of one of your monsters, and give those attack points to my dragon. I believe this duel is… over, is it not?"

The elder looked at the Dragon of the West curiously. "…You picked a strong opponent. It will be amusing to see how my own representative reacts."

"I've already foreseen it." The man in the fedora laughed softly. "He will lose."

* * *

Kaito and Bernard stared into each other's eyes, each daring the opponent to make a move.

The members of Team Hotbloods had gathered in a semi-circle around the two. Creed had joined them, and the group had somewhat grudgingly allowed him through.

Lawrence tapped Achan on the shoulder. "Smith, pay attention. They're almost finished with the square-off, and you're a thousand miles away. What's eating you?"

Achan, startled, turned towards him. "…Just thinking. My match with Wheels," he muttered. "The voice said I had a winning hand. What did I do that was so wrong?"

Suddenly, two duel disks flashed to life, and two duelists shouted. "Duel!"

Creed smirked. "And the match begins…"

Bernard drew first. "Challenger's play. I summon Sunlight Unicorn, in attack position!"

A gentle neigh filled the air, and a white unicorn stood between the duelists- its man flickered like blue flame, and its horn pulsed with a gentle aura. (1800/1000)

Kaito glanced at the unicorn. "…That's interesting…" A grin spread across his face.

"Don't be so surprised," Bernard replied calmly. "A warrior is nothing in battle without his weapons. Sunlight Unicorn, though it may be a beast of the forest, understands this truth- and using its ability, I shall illustrate it. I will reveal the top card of my deck, and should that card be an equip spell card, it will be added to my hand. _Sunlight Forge!_"

As Bernard spoke, the unicorn reared up on its hind legs and whinnied loudly. A pool of light gathered above its head before congealing into the image of an equip spell depicting a group of miniature mechanics carrying large tools that nearly caused them to overbalance. "This is my top card… I equip it to Sunlight Unicorn now. Engine Tuner!" A golden aura surrounded the Unicorn as a gear-shaped charm strung itself around the monster's neck. "By this card's effect, my Unicorn will gain half its defense points as attack points!" (2300/1000)

Kaito whistled appreciatively. "Equip deck, huh? Never seen one of those before…"

Bernard smiled wanly. "Too few duelists appreciate a fine weapon. I'll set a card and end my turn."

"And I begin mine! Draw!" Kaito was visibly beginning to enjoy himself- his grin was completely carefree, and the wild, playful look in his eyes had intensified. "I summon Storm Hound, in attack position!" The air crackled as the creature leaped into the arena, sparks flying from its fur as it howled. "And by its effect, I send any two normal monsters from my deck to the graveyard, and increase its attack points by three hundred for each one. _Gathering Storm!_" The hound howled again as its attack points increased. (2100/1200)

Wheels glanced at the monster. "Probably King of the Veldt and a tuner," she muttered.

Kaito whipped out a hand dramatically. "Storm Hound! Attack Sunlight Unicorn! _Storm Fang!_"

As the hound leaped into the air, Achan stared at Kaito. "What the heck is he doing?"

Storm Hound's charge was interrupted mid-flight as a miniature tornado surrounded Sunlight Unicorn, forcing the hound to fly back and land in a crouch on Kaito's field. (2100/1200)

Bernard pointed to his set card as it faded away. "Windstorm of Etaqua will force your monster into defense position."

Achan stared openmouthed. "Why did he waste that card? What the heck?"

Wheels whirled towards Achan. "You really can't tell, Smith?"

Achan's cheeks burned fiercely.

Kaito grimaced at his defensive monster. "I'll set… three cards and end my turn."

Bernard drew. "Your defenses will do you no good, I'm afraid, Shishio. The tale of the Lion of the East… I'll eclipse it here. Twin-Sword Marauder, in attack position!"

In a pixilated display a strange warrior appeared beside Sunlight Unicorn. In addition to a face-concealing helmet, the warrior wore two impressively large armored shoulder pads, and in place of a traditional weapon, his hands ended in a pair of leather braces each with no less than three attached blades. (1600/1000)

Bernard pointed to his unicorn. "I will again search my deck for a suitable weapon for my warrior. _Sunlight Forge!_"

A second ray of light congealed above the unicorn's head, this time revealing a spell card depicting a katana that appeared to have been forged from pure ice. Bernard immediately slipped it into his duel disk. "I now equip my monster with Snowfall Saber!"

The Marauder lifted one arm as the blades on it transformed into a single sword- a katana that shimmered like the surface of a frozen lake in the sunlight. (2100/1000)

Suddenly, Achan's eyes widened. "That card… I have that too! It lets you-" He suddenly stopped. "No. No. No. Oh God no. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. I'm such an idiot!"

Everyone save Kaito and Bernard, both too intent on their duel to notice the outburst, stared at Achan as he continued. "If… if I had used Wandering Hero's effect… if I had searched my deck for… IDIOT!"

Bernard, meanwhile, continued his play. "Now… there comes a time in any battle where a sacrifice may become necessary. Sunlight Unicorn, are you prepared?"

To Kaito's surprise, the unicorn nodded in response to Bernard's question, pawing at the rooftop angrily. Bernard chuckled at the monster's apparent display of emotion. "Very well. Lend me your soul, then! I equip Twin-Sword Marauder with Burning Soul Sword!"

The Marauder's second set of blades transformed into the shape of a blazing scimitar. Bernard pointed to his unicorn. "Burning Soul Sword allows me, once per turn, to tribute a monster I control and transfer its original attack strength to the equipped monster. Sunlight Unicorn, add your power to my Marauder's!" The unicorn neighed as it burst into flames which wrapped themselves around the strange warrior. (3900/1000)

Wheels glanced at the monster. "He's screwed."

Achan stared at the sword on Marauder's hand numbly. "It gets worse…"

Kaito tensed as Bernard pointed at the crouching Storm Hound. "Twin-Sword Marauder… attack! _Twin Murder!_"

The strange warrior leaped into the air, energized by the power of Sunlight Unicorn running through its veins. Kaito reached for one of his set cards.

"No good," Bernard shook his head. "Due to Snowfall Saber's effect, your cards are sealed until the end of the damage step… and due to Twin-Sword Marauder's my attack will inflict piercing damage, and I will have the privilege of one more attack in a row."

Achan groaned. "That card… I could have used it…"

The falling blades of Twin-Sword Marauder sheered through Kaito's hound. A rush of flames leapt from the monster's corpse, burning licking Kaito's feet. (4000-2700= 1300)

Bernard shook his head sadly. "This duel has ended prematurely, Lion of the East- as I knew it would. A warrior who cannot use his greatest weapon is no match for one with the full use of his, even if that warrior has a lion's heart."

Rachel stared at the warrior-duelist, an expression of pure and utter confusion plastered across her face. "What the hell is he talking about?"

Achan glanced at the mark on the palm of his hand. "…I think…"

"Hey, Hall. You said it wrong."

The assembled focused their full attention on Kaito who, despite the damage he had taken, was unusually cheerful. "You called me a lion-heart. That's not what I am, and you know it. I am…"

One of Kaito's set cards flipped face-up as a tower of flame burst from the ground, writhing and changing its shape until it settled on a single form. King of the Veldt flexed his claws and roared as Kaito pointed his thumb at himself. "…The proud Lion of the East!" (3000/1800)

Slowly, Bernard began to grin. "My mistake, Shishio… however, even by summoning your most powerful monster, the most you can hope to do is lessen the impact of my attack. This duel will continue… but it is your fate to be defeated!" As he spoke, Twin-Sword Marauder lunged at King of the Veldt, bringing down its blades in a decisive cut. The noble lion roared in pain as it fell to the ground, mortally wounded, and dissolved into ashes.

"Fate? Who gives a damn!" Kaito threw back his head and laughed. "It doesn't matter what weapons fate hands you! I don't follow what fate says- I make my own fate, and carve out my future myself!" (1300- 900= 400)

Achan's mouth dropped open as the air around Kaito began to pulse. He felt a tingling sensation on his right palm. "He's doing it again…"

Bernard looked at Kaito closely. "…I end my turn."

Kaito's final set card flipped face-up. "Shock Draw! I get one draw now for every thousand points of damage I took this turn!"

A whirlwind swept the top of Babylon International Headquarters as Kaito added three new cards to his hand. He pointed at Bernard for a moment. "You…" he pointed at Creed, "And you. After I win this duel, I'll beat the answers out of you two if I need to. This game won't end until it's my victory!"

FAKE CARD LIST

**Snowfall Saber**

_Equip Spell_

This card can only be equipped to a warrior-type monster. Increase the Atk of the equipped monster by 500. When the equipped monster declares an attack, your opponent cannot activate the effects of spell or trap cards until the end of the damage step.

**Hatchling- Volcanic Kin**

_Monster/Fire/Dragon/Effect/2*_

Atk 0/Def 1500

This card's attribute is also treated as EARTH. During each player's standby phase increase this card's level by 2. During your main phase you can tribute this face-up card to special summon a FIRE or EARTH attribute dragon-type monster from your hand or graveyard with a level equal to or lower than this card's.

**Hatchling- Storm Kin**

_Monster/Wind/Dragon/Effect/2*_

Atk 0/Def 1500

This card's attribute is also treated as WATER. During each player's standby phase increase this card's level by 2. During your main phase you can tribute this face-up card to special summon a WIND or WATER dragon-type monster from your hand or graveyard with a level equal to or lower than this card's.

**Brood Guardian**

_Monster/Earth/Dragon/Synchro/6*_

Atk 2300/Def 2000

"1 Dragon-type tuner monster+ 1 or more dragon-type non-tuner monsters"

When this card is synchro summoned successfully, you can special summon up to two dragon-type monsters with an Atk of 500 or less from your graveyard. If you control this face-up card your opponent cannot attack monsters special summoned by this card's effect.


	6. Chapter 6

_(Author's Note: The following chapter contains an OC who is not, in fact, trademarked to Scarlet Weather Inc. The character of Faust, who encountered both previous incarnations of Kaito in the RPs "DARV GX" and "DARV R", is the brainchild of fellow RPer and author AxelDH, a.k.a. Lux-Nero for those of you on . That said, please enjoy.)_

**Yu-Gi-Oh! Burning Red**

_Sixth Game: Face the New Dawn! A Lion's Weapon!_

"This game won't end until it's my victory!"

Even as Kaito shouted his defiant challenge, Creed sneered. "Bold words, Lion of the East," he muttered. "But so far you've found nobody capable of challenging your belief in absolute victory… not since you received that mark."

Achan heard the muttering, but didn't turn his head towards the strange man. He was too busy staring at the weapon strapped to the arm of Bernard's monster- the icy katana that shimmered as it seemed to split the sunlight that glanced from its blade. "I could've won…"

Kaito, meanwhile, threw back his head and laughed. He rotated a single card from his hand. "I summon Gladiator Beast Andal, in attack position!" With a roar, a gigantic armored bear appeared beside Kaito, its fists covered with iron shields. (1900/1500)

Bernard regarded the armored bear coldly. "Even with the loss of my bonus from Burning Soul Sword, my Twin-Sword Marauder is still more powerful than your unarmed beast." The monster brandished its arm-blades, as if agreeing. (2100/1000)

Kaito pointed to the last of his set cards. "Swing of Memories, activate!"

The moment Bernard saw the card his mouth dropped open slightly. "W-What?"

Wheels stared at the card as well, even as the familiar image of Master of the Underdog coalesced from a stream of flames the card released. "So he does know his way around a bit…"

Bernard stared at the monster aghast, even as the long-haired fighter lifted his cigarette and puffed at it gently, a haze of sparks rather than a smoke ring escaping the cylinder. "…What is this?"

"Oh, you thought I had Shrink?" Kaito laughed. "Nah, I just figured I'd get you to flip that trap card early if I acted like it. Gladiator Beast Andal, Master of the Underdog, tuning!"

The fighter and bear crashed their fists together, roaring and shouting a battle cry in unison. Master of the Underdog rose into the air as Andal broke into four stars. Kaito pointed upward at the display of lights. "_Burning spirit who rules the battlefield, proud spirit who challenges the stars themselves, now prepare to join in this game! Raise your blade, master of all you survey… synchro summon! Stand proud, King of the Underdog!"_

A column of flame erupted around Kaito as the noble king stepped out, complete with his circlet and broadsword. The warrior stabbed the latter into the ground as Kaito slipped one card from his hand into the graveyard slot of his duel disk. "Once per turn I can discard any card from my hand to special summon a normal monster from the graveyard! _Burning resurrection!_!" (2800/1400)

The king swung his blade over his head once and plunged it into the ground. A miniature volcanic eruption burst from beneath the monarch's feet, twisting itself and transforming into the massive lion Kaito had used in his earlier duel. "King of the Veldt!" (3000/1800)

Bernard's eyes narrowed. "…Shishio…"

Creed chuckled. "…They say a lion's greatest weapon is intimidation… it's impressive that he managed to cause Bernard the Iron Heart to falter."

Kaito pointed at Bernard's lone monster. "Don't underestimate me! A lion doesn't know how to hold back, after all! King of the Underdog, attack Twin-Sword Marauder! _The Wild King's Judgment!_"

The King of the Underdog drew himself into a crouch, his sword at the ready. Without warning he sprang, transforming into a blur of motion. A moment later, Twin-Sword Marauder shattered into hundreds of pieces just as the king's sword pierced it. (LP: 4000- 700= 3300)

Bernard looked up just in time to see the massive holographic claws of a lion slashing down upon him. "King of the Veldt, direct attack! _Wrath of the Beast King!_" (LP: 3300-3000= 300)

Kaito slipped a final card into his duel disk. "Set this, end turn!"

Bernard glared. "…Your counterattack is impressive, Lion of the East. However… you have failed to use your greatest weapon to its fullest extent."

Kaito acted as if he was cleaning one of his ears out. "Come again?"

"Your greatest weapon… the fiery will that, when combined with your lion's mark, breaks fate according to your desire! If you cannot strike a decisive blow against me with it, you have no chance of victory when the time for the true battle arrives!" Bernard lowered his finger dramatically. "I will demonstrate my meaning!"

The windstorm that had risen up when Kaito drew seemed to calm itself as Bernard held up his card. "My draw… Shishio, prepare to face it… the matchless blade that forms my deck's centerpiece!"

Kaito grinned. "More swords? Can't match the Lion of the East unarmed?"

Bernard selected his next card. "Now… Shishio, prepare to face the warrior who will deliver the decisive blow of this duel! Come forth, Evocator Chevalier!"

An aura of flame sprang up in front of Bernard, twisting and swerving as it rippled and transformed into a knight wearing an ornate suit of red armor and a face-concealing helmet designed to mimic flames. The knight drew his blade- a large katana- and swung it once as he faced the warrior and lion on Kaito's field, obviously unafraid. (1900/900)

Bernard selected a second card. "My Chevalier's effect is currently sealed… but it stands on even footing with your monster. I activate my equip spell-behold, the advent of the holy blade Excalibur!"

Kaito stared, the grin on his face slowly becoming more feral as the ground beneath the chevalier's feet rippled and a lady dressed entirely in white rose from it. The Evocator Chevalier bowed to one knee as the ethereal woman reached into the still-rippling ground and withdrew a double-edged broadsword, which she proceeded to tap both of the knight's shoulders with. The Chevalier rose up as his armor slowly changed, transforming from its original crimson and orange into a blazing golden. It accepted the new blade, and as the lady faded into mist, swung it twice above his head before bellowing with rage. (3800/900)

Bernard pointed to King of the Underdog, which still stood its ground, despite now being outmatched by his warrior. "Excalibur will double the attack points of any monster I equip it to… but in exchange, my draw phases are sealed, and should I draw a card it will be destroyed. Shishio… prepare yourself for my decisive blow! Evocator Chevalier, the time has come… _Imperial Golden Flash!_"

The armored knight dashed across the field with such speed that he appeared to simply teleport. The king had no time to prepare before Excalibur's blade struck.

"Kaito!" Achan shouted.

-TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT-

"Good job out there, Tendou."

Yusuke Tendou sighed as he collapsed into a comfortable chair. "There was nothing particularly good or bad about it. I defeated my opponent because I had an unbeatable hand. That was all."

The man speaking with Tendou stretched out along the settee he had claimed earlier and attempted- unsuccessfully- to smooth out the tangled mess of his brown, curly hair. He pointed at the ceiling, making a gun shape with his finger and thumb, and made a 'bang' noise with his mouth before grinning. "Did you get a look at that Skye guy's face? Looked like he was about ready to jump off a cliff there. I mean, seriously, a regional champion of the US and you beat him in one play! How awesome is that?"

Tendou couldn't help smiling. "It's like I told him out there- all the pride in the world can't help you. In a game like this, everything is decided by fate."

His companion chuckled. "You like saying that a lot, don't you?"

"No more than you like to inform everyone of your own thoughts on the subject, Chris," Tendou replied. "We're two of a kind, brought together by heaven. Both strong, like-minded individuals with a penchant for-"

"Talking too much?" Chris finished his partner's sentence, his grin still wide.

"You could say that."

Chris let out a howl of laughter. "I can't _wait_ to see you when we actually get out there to duel for the cup. You're going to have to work really hard to top what you pulled today. "

"I'll just trust fate to make my next few matches interesting then. It's done me well so far." Tendou grinned innocently.

-TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT-

Bernard coldly regarded his Chevalier's blade, which had impaled the King of the Underdog through the spine. "This game has ended, Shishio. With only four hundred life points, you can't survive my…"

"Is that all?"

Bernard paused as Kaito interrupted his sentence. "You're…"

The King of the Underdog had slumped to the ground, defeated, but Kaito stood upright. His life points hadn't been lowered at all by the attack. In fact, they had increased. (LP: 400 +1000= 1400)

"My set card… Rainbow Life. By discarding one card from my hand, damage to my life points during this turn is translated into life point gain!" Kaito pointed at his opponent angrily. "I told you, don't look down on me! I'm the Lion of the East for a reason!"

Bernard stared at his hand for a moment, before looking back at his opponent. "…I don't understand it. You broke fate… why did you not defeat me during the turn you changed this match's outcome?"

The red-haired duelist shuffled the cards remaining in his hand around, still grinning. "Fate? What the hell is that? I've never seen it! And why would I want to finish things so quickly?" Kaito drew, slashing the card through the air in a manner that was as melodramatic as circumstances permitted. He continued without waiting for Bernard's answer. "You challenged me to a duel so I wanted to have fun with it. If I win a game without the opponent ever making a move, where's the fun in that? That's not a duel! I activate Wild Nature's Release!"

The air around Kaito's gigantic lion seemed to catch fire as King of the Veldt roared defiantly, causing the arena around it to tremble. Kaito pointed a single finger into the air. "My will? Too weak to win? As if! I'm the Lion of the East for a reason… lions never give up, and neither will I! Sorry… I have too much pride to let some amateur come out of nowhere and get a cheap win!"

Achan stared at Kaito. "…W-what's going on here? The energy around him is…"

Wheels groaned. "…What a show-off… all he's doing is boosting his own monster's attack points."

The ground King of the Veldt stood on appeared to crack. "Wild Nature's Release adds King of the Veldt's defense points to its attack points!" (4800/1800)

Bernard stared at the blazing monster. "…A duel… to remember… It can't be…"

Kaito grinned and pointed at Evocator Chevalier. "Wild Nature's Release was in my hand when this duel started. I've been waiting for a moment like this to use it! Go, King of the Veldt! The finishing blow… _Wrath of the Beast King-Lunatic Version!_"

The massive lion needed no second bidding. It roared once more, crouched, and then leapt into the air. A trail of flames streamed behind the beast as it fell on the chevalier, who brought up his sword to defend. Undeterred, the lion's massive paw simply swatted the sword aside, and it brought down its jaws on the knight's head. There was a massive explosion, and the field was covered in holographic smoke.

When the smoke clear, Bernard had fallen to one knee, his head bent in shame. (LP: 300- 1000= 0)

Creed glanced at the kneeling duelist. "…Hmph!" he sneered before turning away, bringing up a hand to make a gesture. Suddenly, a hand on his shoulder arrested his movement. "What?"

Achan stepped in front of the man in the top hat, cracking his knuckles. "We had a deal. You said you'd tell us about the marks if Kaito dueled your buddy. He did, and he won. What are you going to do?"

Creed frowned. "Bernard will tell you anything you need to know. As for myself…"

Achan sprawled over at the force of Creed's push. The mysterious duelist snapped his fingers and faded into thin air, his words echoing behind him. "I have more tests to arrange…"

Bernard hadn't moved from his kneeling position. "…I've lost…"

"What did you expect? It was me you were dueling." Kaito glanced at the kneeling duelist. "Well? Your friend left you behind. Are you going to hold up his end of the deal?"

Bernard sighed. "…Creed… always changing his mind," he muttered. "I will tell you everything you need to know… on one condition."

Cole stepped forward and raised an eyebrow. "That being?"

"I will serve as an alternate for Team Hotbloods." Bernard looked Kaito in the eye as he stood up. "I wish to duel by your side until I am strong enough to overcome any opponent… even a lion."

Kaito turned to Cole, a playful grin on his face. "…He _does _have a fun deck…"

"...Information first or nothing," Wheels growled, moving between Kaito and Bernard. "I'm this team's captain, I get to decide who I team with. If you don't like it I'm walking out on this whole damn thing."

"…Ironic statements aside, I have every intention of complying with your requests for information," Bernard replied drily. "...Perhaps we should proceed to somewhere more comfortable for yourselves?"

-TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT-

By the time the entirety of Team Hotbloods had made it downstairs and settled into their usual places in the conference room the sun had shifted its position by quite a bit and morning had given way to afternoon. Bernard took a seat slightly removed from the others and inclined his head slightly. "So… shall we begin?"

Wheels glared at him with unmatched venom. "Start with the marks. You gonna explain why the hell you gave them to us?"

Achan opened his mouth to say something, but closed it just as quickly, apparently embarrassed..

Berna nodded. " Simply put… all three of you have been chosen to represent humanity in a game to decide whether the world's fate should be controlled by gods or by humanity, and the marks give you the abilities needed to fight divine opponents on even terms."

The silence in the room was palpable. Wheels inched closer to Bernard, her voice dripping pure venom. "…If you think for one minute I buy that sack of bulldrek, you're insane. Give me the truth or I'll rip you to shreds."

"I did," Bernard replied icily. "Don't doubt me, Schuyler. I assure you that I would rather die than lie to those I have given an oath to."

"Well you've got a funny way of showing it then." Wheels continued to move closer until her face was barely an inch from Bernard's. "I don't buy it. I don't care how you dress it up, that's bulldrek until I see some proof!"

"Proof?" Bernard's gaze seemed to harden, his eyes glistening like polished stones. Achan recoiled in horror as a cloud of energy formed around him momentarily before being absorbed into his body, invisible to the room's other inhabitants. "Perhaps this is proof enough?" Bernard's duel disk suddenly ejected the deck contained inside, which dissolved into sparks of golden light. The disk then began to melt and reshape itself. Within moments, a polished broadsword lay next to the dark-haired man's chair.

Achan stared at the tall man. "…What are you?" he asked incredulously.

Bernard stood for a moment, considering his answer. Finally, he spoke. "A former human who now produces and uses his own duel energy as a source of power… kept alive solely because of his will to continue existing focused through the power of his master. I suppose you might call me an angel."

Wheels shook her head. "Cute trick, but just because you know how to do little magic shows doesn't mean you're a god or something."

Rachel met Bernard's gaze. "…Let me ask something. If you are telling the truth, why choose these three?"

"They met the qualifications," Bernard replied passively, ignoring Wheels and her continued skepticism. "To fight the gods, three things are needed- a seer's sight, a demon's power, and a lion's heart. Those marks simply amplify those traits."

"And nobody else exists with those qualifications?" Rachel pressed.

"They do, but regardless of whether the others exist or not, they were not the ones chosen. The three chosen are here, and it's their fight now." Bernard glanced at Kaito, Achan, and Wheels in turn. "The three chosen to oppose the gods… the one who 'sees all', the one who 'crushes form', and the one who 'breaks fate'. The very existence o f such abilities offends our opponent in this game."

"So, let me ask something now…" Kaito stretched out across his settee. "…Let's assume we bought any of this. What happens if we just say 'screw you, we don't wanna play your game'?"

Bernard stood up, towering over the others. "I cannot force you to fight, and neither can my master or anyone else. To do so would be to violate the very cause you have been chosen to represent in this fight- human free will. However, should you refuse to battle, you will lose this fight by default- and with this loss humanity will be forever subject to an unchangeable, unbreakable fate."

-TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT-

In a back alley, three men wearing nylon masks advanced slowly towards a single man they had cornered, switchblades at the ready.

Despite the apparent helplessness of their victim, one of the muggers hung back, somewhat disturbed by the man's cold stare. His clothing seemed unusual- a large white trench coat and coke-bottle spectacles made him seem rather imposing but at the same time slightly comical, an impression carried further by the fact that his hair was apparently dyed neon green.

"Hand over your cash. Now." The leader of the three thieves growled at the man they had cornered, waving his switchblade for emphasis.

The man in the trench coat adjusted his glasses and slowly reached into one of the coat's pockets. "…Let me count up your crimes."

The thieves stared at him. "This a joke? Hurry up with the cash!"

The mugger might have managed to say something else, but before he could continue a white blur crashed into him, and he collapsed as a fist slammed into his stomach, driving the wind from it. The second mugger charged only to harmlessly strike thin air with his blade. He felt a sharp pressure against the back of his head and fell to the ground unconscious, his knife skittering harmlessly away. The third mugger slowly began to move backwards, trembling in fear, as the man advanced, grinning. Finally he dropped his knife and began to sprint away.

The man in the trench coat grinned and began to follow, but found his path suddenly obstructed by a man wearing a top hat and a leisure suit. "…Who?"

The man in the suit grinned. "_Hello, Kenju-san. I've been looking for you,_" he said. His Japanese was tinged with a slight accent, but his grammar was perfect.

The man in the coat glared at him. "_…Never call me that,_" he replied. "_My name is Faust. Who are you and what are you doing looking for me? Did you come to challenge a king of the underworld?"_

Creed laughed. "_Hardly… Faust-san. I've come to ask you to duel a certain former classmate of yours and settle an old rivalry. That is, after all, why you're here… isn't it?"_

Faust's eyes lit up. "_…Shishio…_"

"_I can arrange a meeting between you two in the near future." _Creed smirked. "_Would you like that?"_

Faust adjusted his glasses and cackled. "_Heh, heh, heh! I've been waiting for this moment… tell me the place!"_

-TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT-

"I knew I'd find you up here."

Cole slipped up behind Kaito, who was standing on the roof of Babylon International once again, watching the sun set. Kaito didn't turn, instead directing his gaze to the dying rays of light. "Matthews."

"Shishio."

The two stood together for a moment, watching as the daylight faded. Finally, Kaito broke the silence. "So?"

Cole sighed. "I talked it over with Lawrence… he agreed. Hall's as decent a duelist as any we'll encounter, and since he's working pro bono he'll be cheaper too. We'll be accepting his offer. I'm less worried about his presence on the team and more worried about what he said, however. Either he's right and you're involved in a supernatural battle, he's lying, or he's absolutely insane, and right now I can't decide which of those is the more disturbing possibility."

Kaito continued to look at the dying light. "Does it really matter?"

Cole gripped his shoulder. "Kaito, I'm saying this not just as your manager but as your friend- I'm worried. If this man is telling the truth, you're about to walk into a world that none of us understand. Even if he isn't, that means we have to deal with the presence of a lunatic or a liar on our team with access to some sort of supernatural abilities. You could be in serious danger."

A chilling breeze swept the rooftop as the last of the sun's rays disappeared behind the horizon. Kaito turned slowly to gaze at the city lighting up around him, shrugging off Cole's hand as he did so. "Let's say he's a liar or a lunatic. If he's lying, we just have to be careful that we don't walk into a huge trap. If he's a lunatic he seems like a harmless one."

"And if he's telling the truth?" Cole pressed.

Kaito sighed. "I don't believe in things like fate or destiny or whatever, so I don't have any clue what he's talking about when he says stuff like that. But… if he is telling the truth, I'd want to help him."

"Really?" Cole's tone was skeptical. "You'd run straight into a battle that could theoretically be dangerous, life-threatening even, for a man you've never met before all in order to ensure that humankind isn't subject to a concept you don't even actually believe in?"

Kaito nodded and grinned. "Well… there's also the fact that it's a battle with duel monsters. We should fight wars that way; it would be less expensive and save time and energy."

Cole groaned. "…For a moment I was afraid you would actually say something thought-provoking."

"You know I don't know the meaning of the word, Cole." Kaito laughed and looked down at the city below. "...I'm a duelist, and that means I accept all challenges, no matter who they're from or why they challenge me. It's just how it works."

The black-haired man walked to the edge of the roof and stood beside Kaito, his hands in his pockets. "When I look at it that way, I suppose I shouldn't have expected any other answer from you, of all people."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

-TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT-

Achan sighed as he leaned back in the armchair of the conference room. He was the last one remaining- Bernard had taken his leave hours before, and Kaito and Cole were both on the roof. He turned to the floating spirit beside him. "…I can't believe… I lost so quickly."

Devi floated down to eye level. _She's a pro. You're a rookie. You made one misplay, it happens. You're thinking more about losing to her than you are about that Hall guy calling himself an angel._

"It's not the same," Achan muttered. "Now that I know what he is, he's not as scary as I thought he was. And it's not so much that I lost… it's why. I can't… I can't win, even when I've got an unbeatable combo right in front of me, because I just can't see it. I'm no good… I'm a failure as a duelist." He laughed woodenly. "Dammit, I just made it into the pro leagues… I can't hit my limit now, can I?"

"What's this about a 'limit'?"

For a moment Achan thought the gruff, female voice was the same one he'd heard during his duel. He turned a moment later and realized its true source. Wheels moved up behind him, wheeling her chair into a position where she could face the now-blushing teen. "Well? Are you going to say something?"

Achan attempted to form a reply, but somehow his words got jumbled on the way up. "Um… well, it's… the duel we had yesterday and I um… I'm…"

"Kid, stop trying to be cute, you're not a schoolgirl," Wheels growled. "So now speak up. What's all this about your limit?"

"I-I can't…" Achan took a deep breath and composed himself. "…I can't win, ever. I could've won the duel yesterday, but I picked the wrong equip spell with Hero's effect and I would've had a winning hand otherwise and I don't know if I'm going to screw up like that again and I'm really afraid that I'll lose my next match for the team and we'll-"

"Okay kid, I get the point, now shut the hell up." Achan's mouth immediately snapped shut and he stared in terror as Wheels moved her face dangerously close to his. "Listen close kid, and listen good, I don't like repeating myself. You can't read plays or cards to save your damn life. Am I right?"

Achan nodded slowly. "…Y-yeah… so you can see why I'm-"

"Bullshit. You lost a duel so you're moping. Big deal, you've got your whole career ahead of you. Your legs are actually working, stand up on your own damn feet and go out there and duel."

Wheels's response nearly caused Achan to jump back in surprise and alarm. "What?"

"You heard me." Wheels jabbed a finger into Achan's stomach, causing him to wince in pain. "You want to get better at reads? Fine. I'll teach you a bit. I've got three rules- pay attention, sit up, and shut up. Am I perfectly clear?"

Achan nodded quickly. "…Y-yes ma'am."

"Wheels. From now on it's Wheels." Wheels moved back, giving Achan enough room to breathe easily again. "And another thing… don't get any ideas. This isn't because I feel sorry for you or anything. It's because you're on my team for the Kaiser Cup… and the last thing I need is a weak-ass teammate dragging me down. Got it?"

Achan thought about pointing out that he hadn't been about to say anything, but decided against it. Instead, he nodded mutely. "Yes m- Wheels. Yes, Wheels."

Wheels grinned in satisfaction and nodded. "Okay kid, you're not totally hopeless- that right there's a decent start. Now, we're gonna start with the most basic of basics when it comes to reading plays. I set one monster and several spells and traps… if you haven't encountered my deck before, what's the most likely read?..."

-TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT-

"The time has come."

The chords of an electric guitar echoed through the near-abandoned building, reverberating and building in intensity.

"Team Hotbloods is an obstacle."

"Yeah, yeah, so?"

Lights flickered, briefly illuminating three figures, one still tuning his guitar. "So we need to deal with them."

"Sounds fun. How do you think we should do that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" The man with the guitar grinned. "We crush them down. We break their spirits. We make their souls tremble with every step we take."

More chords flooded the room, each hanging in the air and leaving an impression like striking thunder.

"I like your plan, I like it. I want to hear 'em scream. I want to see them writhe!"

"Hey, hey, be patient. After all, it's only a few weeks… and then…"

"Their souls will tremble!"

The three threw back their heads and laughed. The one with the guitar launched into an extended riff that seemed to cause the whole foundation of the building to tremble for a moment.

Then all was silent.


	7. Chapter 7

**Yu-Gi-Oh! Burning Red**

_Chapter Seven: A Burning Legend- Kaiser Cup's Beginning!_

The Kaiser Cup's directors had chosen the largest dueling arena in New York as their venue for the initial preliminary rounds. Achan was grateful for this- the waiting room for the duelists was large enough that he could easily sit down on a bench and avoid notice, becoming lost in the crowd. Other duelists milled around the room, trash-talking and swapping deck advice. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Rachel and Wheels off to the side, chatting amiably about something he couldn't quite make out. Bernard appeared to be conversing with a duelist from one of the opposing teams. Achan sighed and lowered his head.

"Focus."

Achan let his duel disk rest on his knees as he placed his hands on the machine, closed his eyes, and began to breathe in and out slowly. "Let the tension melt away…" he muttered to himself. "Let it all out. Relax. It's just our first match is all. First match against a team of pros. First real duel. Can't screw this up. Can't screw this up. Can't screw this up…" His hands began to shake as his gripped the duel disk. "Can't look stupid, can't misread a play, just have to remember that when they set it's probably-"

A pair of hands grabbed Achan's shoulders and a cheerful voice sang out. "Boo!"

The redhead nearly jumped a foot into the air from his seat. "K-k-kaito?"

The older male casually sat down next to his team mate, grinning. "What are you doing? I know you've got a mark too, but that doesn't mean you're going to calm yourself down if you just sit there staring at your duel disk."

Achan looked around the room before answering. Hundreds of duelists were milling around, some trash-talking, some swapping bits and pieces of deck advice, and some discussing things completely unrelated to duel monsters. The Kaiser Cup's official preliminaries were only hours away, but most of the pros in the room seemed completely relaxed and unconcerned with the upcoming match. The atmosphere seemed more like a party than a competition. "…I just don't want to screw up again…" he muttered.

"Want some advice?" Kaito grinned, and then continued without waiting for an answer. "Don't worry about it. Duel Monsters is a game, right?"

Achan nodded slowly. "…Yeah?"

"So enjoy it!" Kaito practically shouted, causing Achan to jump in surprise. "Just because you didn't win last time doesn't mean you won't win this time."

"But I…"

"But nothing." Kaito's expression became more serious for a moment. "Listen, Smith, you've got your first real duel coming up. If you get so worried about it that you can't play, you're not doing yourself any favors. Have a little faith in your own strength." With that he stood up, and left Achan behind as he moved across the room to chat with Cole.

Achan looked at his disk again. "…My own strength, huh."

His nervousness aside, Achan admitted there was something exciting about the impending match. As he turned Kaito's words over in his head, he gradually began to smile slightly. He removed his deck from its slot and began shuffling through it, looking at each card individually. Finally, he encountered the one he was looking for.

The devil-winged Kuriboh flew over Achan's shoulder. _Are you sure you're ready for this?_

Achan nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."

The spirit floated down towards Achan's deck, brushing it with his wing-tips. _You're excited? That's not usual. Something good just happen to you?_

Achan thought for a moment and scratched the back of his head. "To tell you the truth… I don't remember. It's just… something Kaito said reminds me of something. At least, I think it does."

_You _think_ it reminds you of something. _Devi stared at Achan incredulously. _Smith, I'm not so sure that you're all there at the moment._

"Maybe I'm not…" Achan mumbled.

At that moment, a voice echoed over the loudspeaker. "_ATTENTION, DUELISTS! IT'S TIME FOR OUR STARTING MATCH! WILL THE MEMBERS OF TEAM HOTBLOODS AND TEAM THUNDERCLAP REPORT TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT ENTRANCES OF THE ARENA, RESPECTIVELY?"_

The party-like atmosphere died down. Achan looked at his spirit partner. "…Let's go."

The spirit nodded his body in agreement.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Wheels, Achan, Kaito and Bernard stood together in silence. The hallway was large, mostly empty, and built to accommodate as dramatic an entrance as a duelist wanted. Kaito grinned and turned to Wheels. "So, leader. You got any big entrance planned?"

"Screw that," Wheels huffed. "As long as I'm captain here, we do things my way, and that's the way I ran the arena back at the Dorado- if you want to duel, then just head in there and duel. Don't bother with the flashy stuff."

Kaito's face fell slightly. "You sure? I had a speech you could use…"

Wheels glared at Kaito with an intensity that caused the hair on the back of Achan's neck to rise up. "No means _no_, Shishio."

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE WAIT IS OVER! THE PRELIMINARY ROUNDS OF THE KAISER CUP BEGIN TONIGHT!" a voice boomed over the arena loudspeaker, as the crowd outside sent up a loud cheer.

Achan clapped his hands to his ears. "…So loud…"

"NOW TO INTRODUCE OUR DUELISTS! FIRST, ON THE LEFT SIDE… LED BY THE FORMER SPITFIRE QUEEN HERSELF, ALLISON SCHUYLER, WE ARE PROUD TO INTRODUCE THE ONE AND ONLY…. TEEEAAAAAAMMM HOTBLOOOOOOOOOODS!"

Wheels chuckled over the roar of the announcer. "Heh. 'Former' queen, huh? Suppose it really has been that long…" She moved towards the exit of the hallway, with first Kaito, then Achan following behind. Achan paused by the exit and turned towards Bernard. "Not coming?"

Bernard shook his head. "My assistance will be unnecessary tonight."

Achan thought about this statement for a moment and then nodded. "Take care then."

He took a deep breath and stepped out into the arena, taking his place beside both of his team mates.

The crowd's roars were deafening, and more than once Achan felt the urge to clap his hands to his ears. It took all his willpower to resist the urge. To his right, he saw Kaito wave to a small group of people in the stands wearing lion-eared headbands, presumably his fans. Achan couldn't help chuckling at the sight, until he turned towards Wheels. The chuckle died in his throat.

The aura of the wheelchair-bound duelist wasn't flaring up, the way duel energy generally did in response to excitement. Instead, red orange clouds were wrapping themselves around her even more thickly that usual, as if trying to shield her from view. While her expression was as stoic as always, Achan couldn't help feeling a tangible sense of pain coming from the woman, as if simply being in the arena was re-opening an old wound.

"_Smith. Mind on the game."_

Achan nearly gasped in surprise. That was the voice from before, the one that had vanished after his last duel with Wheels. Why was it back? Why had it left before? And what was so familiar about it?

He was so wrapped up in wondering about the voice's identity that he nearly missed the next announcement. "NOW, ON THE LEFT SIDE, LED BY THE INVINCIBLE FORTRESS HIMSELF…. TEAM THUNDERCLAP!"

Something about the title made Wheels twitch in alarm. "…Fortress? Goddammit, it's not…"

The chords of an electric guitar echoed through the arena as three men strode in. Two were dressed in stereotypical punk attire- black leather, spiked collars and armbands, and a pair of matching shades. The first one, slightly more muscular than his team mates, had opted to shave his head completely bald in preparation from the match, and carried a bass guitar. His similarly-dressed companion, in contrast, had grown out his neon-green hair past his shoulders and carried a microphone. It was the final member of the trio that had attracted Wheels's attention however- there could be no mistaking Red McFadden. The so-called Invincible Fortress was dressed in a pristine, white suit in stark contrast to his fellow team mates- or was it band members? A cord trailed behind the electric guitar he carried, linking it back to an amplifier set up somewhere in the hallway. The red-haired duelist repeated the first riff he had played and grinned at Team Hotbloods. "Hey… woman! You may have struck me down before… but the Invincible Fortress can never be truly defeated! Now with the arrival of Team Thunderclap…" McFadden began.

"…YOUR SOULS WILL TREMBLE!" The other two members of the team chimed in, each adding their own musical contributions to McFadden's anthem. The man with the bass guitar simply strummed it, while the one carrying the microphone gave a high pitched wail that caused members of the audience to clap their hands to their ears.

Something in Achan's head snapped. "Excuse me…"

The cacophony continued.

"EXCUSE ME!"

McFadden caught himself mid-strum. "Not now, boy. Can't you see that you're interrupting our magnificent entrance?" he complained.

"You call that 'magnificent'?" Achan's voice was layered with aggression. "See, when I think magnificent, don't think 'three guys playing really crappy garage band music off-key.'"

McFadden's teammates glared at the diminutive teen. "…Shut up, kid!" the bald one shouted. "You don't know good music!"

"I know that you three couldn't even be bothered to play your song live," Achan replied smoothly as he pointed to the bald man's bass. "Your guitar isn't plugged into anything, but the sound is amped. You all pre-recorded this, didn't you?"

There was a moment of silence as both Team Thunderclap and the audience registered the significance of Achan's words. Then someone in the stands started giggling. After a few moments, half the stadium was laughing.

"INCREDIBLE!" The announcer's voice boomed. "ACHAN SMITH, A NEWBIE PRO AND MEMBER OF TEAM HOTBLOODS, HAS THROWN THE GAUNTLET AND CHALLENGED THE HONOR OF TEAM THUNDERCLAP! I SMELL A GRUDGE MATCH BUILDING!"

McFadden threw down his guitar in disgust. "That does it! Boy, you talk like a man, but can you duel like one?"

Wheels glared at the older duelist. "…Bastard… I'll put you back in your place." She began to move forward, but paused as she felt Achan's hand on her shoulder. "…What now?"

"…Please?" Achan asked softly, glaring at McFadden. "He challenged me."

Wheels looked at the two for a moment and nodded. "…Good luck out there, Smith."

Kaito nodded as well. "Enjoy your first duel in the pro leagues," he said as he flashed his trademark grin.

With that, the two stepped back from the arena's stage, and Achan found himself standing in front of McFadden alone. He took a deep breath. "…My own strength," he muttered before bringing his duel disk up to the 'ready' position.

McFadden smirked as he did the same. "…Boy… I originally intended to duel that woman. But thanks to your show of disrespect earlier, I'll ensure that your first duel in the pro leagues will teach you some humility!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Bernard looked up as Kaito and Wheels returned to the entrance hallway. Kaito took a seat on one of the provided benches. "…Schuyler… you're certain it's wise to allow that boy to accept McFadden's challenge?"

Wheels shook her head slightly. "If it were up to me, I wouldn't have let that kid touch the pro leagues at all. He's a rookie of the worst kind- no practical experience, no courage, and against an opponent like that pig out there he's in the worst possible match-up you could make for him."

"…Then why did you let him go out there?" Bernard asked, apparently genuinely confused.

"Because he knows that, and he decided to duel anyway. That shows some guts." Wheels nodded decisively.

"Besides, no big risk to us. McFadden's got a reputation, but his team mates this time around aren't anything you and Shishio can't handle. Even if Smith loses out there, we'll be in the tournament."

The three duelists turned in time to see Rachel walk down the hallway. The reporter grinned. "I got permission to watch the match from back here, and I couldn't help overhearing. Thought it might be nice to share what I know about Thunderclap… unless you all have objections?"

"Doesn't matter to me," Kaito yawned slightly and stretched out. "If their deck is something interesting, it'll be a fun duel. If it isn't, it won't. Telling me everything about them now might spoil the surprise."

Wheels glared at him. "Shishio, you're too damn overconfident. You're that sure you'll win before the duel even starts?"

"I'm not sure I'll win, I'm sure that it doesn't matter what my opponent plays," Kaito replied smoothly. "It's no fun if I know everything that's going to happen before it happens. I want some surprise in my life."

"Suit yourself," Wheels growled. She redirected her attention to Rachel. "Go ahead and tell me what you know, the cub in the corner over there can just cover his damn ears if he doesn't want to hear."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Duel!"

The shout echoed throughout the arena as Achan and McFadden activated their disks simultaneously, Achan's older model gave a mechanical whir as the two halves that formed its playing field slid out and connected, the holographic projectors coming online, while McFadden's newer device slid into place soundlessly.

"THIS IS IT FOLKS, OUR FIRST MATCH!" the announcer yelled over the noise of the crowd. "TEAM HOTBLOODS HAS SELECTED ROOKIE PLAYER ACHAN SMITH TO GO UP AGAINST VETERAN PLAYER RED McFADDEN, THE INVINCIBLE FORTRESS HIMSELF! IS THIS A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE OR A CRUCIAL MISTAKE ON THEIR LEADER'S PART?"

A robotic voice beeped, emanating from the duel disks of both players. "DICE ROLL."

Achan's die landed on a six, and he couldn't help grinning across the arena as McFadden's landed on a one. "I'll take first move," he decided.

"SMITH ELECTS TO PLAY FIRST! WHAT KIND OF MOVES WILL THIS ROOKIE SHOW US?"

"Draw!" Achan slashed his hand through the air, mimicking the motion Kaito had taught him during their first duel. He glanced at the card and immediately placed it on his duel disk. "I summon Wandering Cleric, in defense position!"

A pink light blossomed in front of Achan's field, re-shaping itself into a young woman with long, braided brown hair. The woman was dressed in blue robes adorned with a cross and carried a silver rod topped with one as well, but her most significant accessory seemed to be the pink ribbon dangling from her braid. The cleric knelt into defense position as Achan nodded to his opponent. "End turn!" (1200/1500)

"IT APPEARS THAT SMITH HAS CHOSEN TO PLAY DEFENSIVELY FOR HIS FIRST TURN- BUT WHAT'S THIS, NO SET CARDS? HOW WILL McFADDEN RESPOND TO HIS PLAY?"

"…I'm glad you asked…" McFadden grinned in response the commentator's question. "I'll respond the way I always respond… With all the power of the Invincible Fortress! I send the level four Green Gadget and Yellow Gadget from my hand to the graveyard, in order to special summon…"

The ground between the duelists began to rumble, and a burst of light shattered the arena floor in front of McFadden. In an impressive display of fanfare, McFadden's blue three-treaded tank rose from the newly-created cavity and lowered its weapon to face Achan's defensive monster. "…The perfect defensive and offensive force, Machina Fortress!" (2500/1600)

"INCREDIBLE! THOUGH THE STRATEGY ISN'T WITHOUT COST TO HIS HAND, THE INVINCIBLE FORTRESS HAS SUCESSFULLY SUMMONED HIS ACE CARD ON THE FIRST TURN! WITH NO SET CARDS TO DEFEND HIMSELF, SMITH STANDS TO TAKE SERIOUS DAMAGE!"

McFadden's supporters roared in approval as their idol selected his next card. "However, I won't stop adding to my forces here… I summon my Machina Gearframe, in attack position!" With a screech, an orange-bodied robot leaped over McFadden's head, landing next to the Fortress and spreading its arms as it prepared to strike Achan's monster. (1800/0)

McFadden removed his deck from his duel disk and selected a card. "When Machina Gearframe is normal summoned, I may search my deck for any Machina monster besides itself and add it to my hand. I choose Machina Peacekeeper!"

Achan gritted his teeth in preparation as McFadden pointed at the orange-armored mechanoid on his field. "Machina Gearframe, attack! _Great Gear Twin Burst!" _

The monster responded to his orders immediately, pointing both of its arms at Achan's defensive cleric and revealing two small cannons within its 'hands'. Twin bolts of energy blasted from both, preparing to completely destroy the defensive cleric. However, just at the bolts reached their target Achan shouted a counter-command. "Wandering Cleric's effect activates! _Holy Wind of Healing!"_

As the bolts approached the Cleric raised her staff, easily deflecting them to either side of the duel arena. A wind of blue energy surrounded her as she did so, and a green aura surrounded Achan. "By my Cleric's effect, once per turn I negate an attack on a 'Wandering' monster I control and gain life points equal to the half the Atk of the attacking monster!" (4000 + 900 = 4900)

McFadden frowned. "No matter! Machina Fortress, trample his Cleric! _Ultimate Invincible Destructive Force- Massive Plasma Cannon!"_

The machine's cannon charged and fired. This time there was no escape- Achan's cleric looked up from her crouch just in time for the blast to completely obliterate her. McFadden smirked. "I end my turn here!"

"And I begin mine! Draw!" Achan glanced at the contents of his hand before pointing to his graveyard. "I remove Wandering Cleric from play to add Limit Break-Seal Evil to my hand!" As his deck spit out the requested card, Achan selected a completely different one and placed it on the field. "I summon Wandering Fighter in attack position!"

As the female warrior appeared on the field throwing a series of punches, the announcer's voice boomed over the arena. "WHAT'S THIS? WHAT COULD SMITH BE THINKING? HE'S SUMMONED A MONSTER WEAKER THAN EITHER OF HIS OPPONENT'S!" (1500/1000)

Achan paid no attention to the booming voice. "Next… I'll activate my spell card, Titan's Blade!"

The Wandering Fighter entered a boxing stance as the leather armguards on her hands changed shape, each sprouting a knife-sized spike. "By this card's effect, my monster's attack points increase by eight hundred, and every time I destroy a monster you control by battle it's returned to the bottom of the deck rather than being sent to the graveyard!" (2300/1000)

The Invincible Fortress threw back his head and laughed. "You can increase your monster's attack points all you want! The Invincible Fortress still stands!"

"Spell card- Limit Break: Beat Rush!" Achan pointed to his fighter. "This card would normally require me to pay half my life points, but since Wandering Fighter is alone on the field I can skip that cost… Wandering Fighter gains five hundred attack points and the ability to attack all monsters you control this turn!" (2800/1000)

Before McFadden could register his shock, a red aura surrounded the charging fighter as Achan shouted his next command. "Wandering Fighter, attack Gearframe and then Fortress! _Beat Rush!_"

Before McFadden could truly register his surprise, the fists of Wandering Fighter had completely dismantled Gearframe, and the warrior had driven her arm-blades into the metal armor of the robotic tank that dominated his field. Bracing herself, the fighter kicked up and somersaulted back to Achan's field in time for the opposing robot to spark and explode in suitably dramatic fashion. (LP: 4000- 1000 – 300= 2700)

McFadden waved one hand dramatically. "My invincible Fortress may be defeated, but it shall never fall! When destroyed and sent to the graveyard, my monster can-"

"Graveyard?" Achan couldn't help grinning smugly. "A monster destroyed by a monster equipped with Titan's Blade is returned to your deck, not sent to the graveyard!"

McFadden stared with an expression somewhere between frustration and embarrassment. "This… I'll… this isn't over!"

"INCREDIBLE! WITHIN THE FIRST MOVES OF THE DUEL, NEWCOMER ACHAN SMITH HAS SOLIDLY WRESTLED CONTROL AWAY FROM McFADDEN, AND DRIVEN HIM INTO A CORNER!" The announcer shouted with enthusiasm.

"Wandering Fighter's effect activates now- I draw one card for each monster destroyed!" Achan smirked as he added both cards to his hand. "End turn!" The red aura surrounding Achan's fighter vanished as her attack points fell slightly. (2300/1000)

"You… I'll…" McFadden's expression became dark. "I'll show you your place, boy! Draw!" The towering man grinned deviously as he held up his latest draw. "Now… you'll experience the true power of the Invincible Fortress! I activate my spell card, Brain Control!" (LP: 2700- 800= 1900)

Before Achan could quite register what was happening, two green hands had wrapped themselves around his monster and yanked it across the field, leaving him completely open. "…Oh…"

"Wandering Fighter, attack directly!" McFadden barked. Before Achan could finish his sentence, a holographic fist crashed into his jaw, and he found himself feeling very thankful that whatever else McFadden was he certainly couldn't cause physical damage with his cards. (LP: 4900- 2300= 2600)

"AND BEFORE SMITH CAN REST ON HIS LAURELS, McFADDEN STEALS BACK CONTROL OF THE GAME… BUT WHY HASN'T HE SUMMONED ANOTHER MONSTER?" The announcer roared in excitement.

The Invincible Fortress snapped his fingers. "Wandering Fighter has served her usefulness… instead, I'll tribute her for a monster better-suited to this conflict!" The fighter dissolved into an orb of multicolored light, which expanded and changed shape. Finally the light vanished, and Achan stared in horror at McFadden's monster- a strange machine that hovered in the air, its four tentacles feeling the air around it. The creature's "head", a mechanical contraption that resembled a cross between a turbine and a satellite dish, glowed with green energy. "Behold… the ultimate enemy of magic, Spell Canceller!" (1800/1600)

"T-that card…" Achan's face turned pale. "…Shit."

"I see you're aware of this card's effect, boy," McFadden laughed. "So long as it exists on the field, all of your spells are useless! Now… take your turn!"

Achan drew slowly, frantically trying to figure out exactly how to extricate himself from the mess he was in. He scanned the contents of his hand and cursed- none of his monsters were large enough to overcome Spell Canceller on their own. Finally he selected one, and set it on the field in defense position. "I summon Wandering Shinobi!" (1500/1200)

As the strange female ninja appeared, Achan removed Wandering Fighter from his graveyard slot. "I'll remove my Fighter from play in order to search out Limit Break-Beat Rush from my deck and add it to my hand. _Limit Charging!_"

McFadden yawned. "You're wasting your time, boy."

"…Am I?" Achan muttered darkly as he slipped the spell he had just added to his hand back into the graveyard. "Wandering Shinobi's effect lets me discard any spell card in my hand to add a non-tuner 'Wandering' monster in my deck to my hand… I choose Wandering Beast, and I end my turn here!"

"SMITH IS FORCED TO PLAY DEFENSIVELY! DESPITE HIS DIRE STRAITS, HOWEVER, HE HASN'T SET A SINGLE TRAP! HOW WILL HIS OPPONENT RESPOND?"

McFadden leered as he drew. "I'll make your misery end as quickly as possible, boy. I summon Machina Peacekeeper, in attack position!"

A red-armored robot whose body was little more than a head supported by three large 'legs' ending in massive wheels screeched into the arena beside McFadden's larger monster. (500/400)

The large man snapped. "Spell Canceller, annihilate his Shinobi. _Death Wind Shot!_"

The turbine-like 'head' of the machine rotated and sparked with power, and a blue-green twister of electromagnetic energy lifted Achan's monster off the ground and set it falling to the floor with a decidedly painful-sounding thud. The monster exploded, leaving Achan with no defense as the second robot charged forward, slamming into him bodily. "Peacekeeper, attack directly! _Peace Hammer!_" (LP: 2600- 500= 2100)

McFadden gestured to his Peacekeeper. "I'm not done here- Peacekeeper will use its effect, equipping itself to my Spell Canceller as an equip spell now! _Machine Union!_" The strange three-wheeled droid shifted forms, transforming into a compact unit that attached itself to the more powerful machine. A barrier appeared around the two monsters, though there was no obvious increase in power.

"AND NOW POSITIONS ARE COMPLETELY REVERSED! WITH HIS SPELL CARDS SOLIDLY LOCKED, SMITH SEEMS TO BE UNABLE TO COUNTER!"

McFadden chuckled mirthlessly. "I set one card and end my turn… boy, you should never have attempted to battle the might of the Invincible Fortress! I'm so far beyond your league that you'll never reach me!"

"Dammit…" Achan muttered as he drew his next card. He managed to relax slightly as he saw the identity. "Hey," he muttered softly to the card as he selected the monster he had used Wandering Shinobi to search out during his last turn. "I summon… Wandering Beast, in attack position!"

With a noise somewhere between a howl and a roar, a red-furred creature rose up beside Achan. Tribal tattoos of some sort ran the length of its body, and it wore blue-tipped feathers behind one ear. The strange-shaped animal seemed to grin as it crouched in anticipation. (1800/900)

"A suicide play?" McFadden asked, somewhat amused.

"No… a victory play! My Wandering Beast can increase its attack points by four hundred for each 'Wandering' monster on the field when it attacks during damage calculation… including itself! Go, Wandering Beast!" Achan pointed at his target dramatically. "_Sled Fang!_"

The red-furred monster leaped forward, a wave of blue wind surrounding it and transforming into a drill-like shape as it moved towards its target. Before it could hit, however, a dimensional rift opened and swallowed it whole.

Achan stared, aghast, as McFadden laughed cruelly. "Dimensional Prison removes an attacking monster from play," the duelist laughed as he gestured to his now-upright trap card.

Achan felt all his confidence drain away. Of course he should have expected this. It was a wonder that McFadden hadn't played a trap card before now. He wouldn't have enough life points to survive the next turn if it came to a major direct attack.

McFadden continued, drawing his card leisurely. "You can always surrender now and save face," he taunted. "I summon my Scrap Recycler, in attack position!" The bizarre semi-sentient scrapheap rose on McFadden's field, clanking as it came. (900/1200)

Achan shuddered as McFadden slipped his ace card into the graveyard. "I use my monster's effect to send Machina Fortress to the graveyard… and furthermore, I return my Green Gadget and Red Gadget to my deck… then I'll shuffle and draw one card! _Scrap Recycle!_" The deck whirred and spit out a monster, and to Achan's relief, the large man frowned- apparently he didn't have eight levels worth of monsters to special summon his ace card with. "You've been spared the wrath of the Invincible Fortress as your final blow, boy… but the result of this duel is unchanged! Spell Canceller, direct attack! _Death Wind Shot!_"

Achan moved to discard one of the cards in his hand, but stopped. What was the use?

_Honestly, Smith, do you need me to do _everything _for you?_

Before Achan could wonder who the voice was, he felt his hand move on its own, sending a card to the graveyard. A familiar devil-winged Kuriboh appeared in front of him, spreading his wings to divert the energy from the direct attack before charging across the field and slamming into McFadden without warning. There was an explosion of light, and Achan lost track of where he was. (LP: 2100- 900= 1200) (LP: 1900-900= 1000)

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Wheels shook her head as Achan discarded Devil Kuriboh, countering his opponent's attack. "Damn fool kid… thought he was about to give up there for a moment from the way he was acting."

Kaito smirked. "He'll be okay. Just as long as he doesn't give up out there- he's stronger than he gives himself credit for."

"And you know this because…" Wheels growled.

"I just do." Kaito looked out at the arena. "…Wait. Wait, wait. What the heck's wrong with Smith?"

Wheels looked out as well. "…The hell you talking about, Shishio?"

"He's right," Rachel confirmed, looking as well. "There's something different about him."

"…He's…" Kaito growled. "He's not himself."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Achan wasn't sure of his exact location, but he knew with certainty he wasn't in the duel arena. Despite that his duel disk was still in place. He glanced at the duel disk with surprise. He was sure his life points shouldn't have been that low if he activated Devi's effect. Then he noticed something about McFadden's cards.

They were on his field.

Before he could wonder about this strange reversal, he saw his opponent and stifled a gasp. It was _her_. The girl from his dreams had somehow manifested herself in the waking world- either that or dragged him into a dream. What was going on here? Why was she standing across from him- and why was she frowning at him, as if he'd just insulted her somehow?

"Really, Smith," the girl said coldly. "Are you _this_ inept? I suppose I could forgive one needless loss, but giving up simply because you can't see the obvious route to victory? There's something rather upsetting about that- especially since you promised _me_ that you would become a duelist worthy of rivaling the Queen of Games."

"Q-Queen? Promise?" Achan's head was swimming. "What are you-"

The purple-haired girl shook her head, disgusted. "…Smith…" She walked across the field towards him. Before Achan could quite register what was happening, he felt a sharp pain across his cheek that sent him stumbling backward. "…You're absolutely clueless," the girl finished before walking back to her own side of the field. "Now pay attention- I don't want you to forget what your own cards are good for again. Understand?"

Achan nodded dumbly as the girl drew. "I summon Snipe Hunter in attack position," She announced, the purple-skinned imp with the strange gun appearing beside her with little fanfare. She wrinkled her nose in disgust at the monster before looking directly into Achan's eyes. "…Do you understand what I'm about to do, Smith, or should I draw you a road map?" (1500/600)

Achan nodded dumbly.

"…Then there's no need for fanfare." The girl slipped three cards into the graveyard in quick succession. Snipe Hunter's roulette spun three times, each time landing between one and six. The imp cackled with glee as three bursts of light completely destroyed the machines occupying Achan's field, and lowered its weapon, preparing to deliver the decisive blow.

"…Who are you?" Achan asked, stunned.

"Don't play dumb, Smith. I admit that's something of a challenge for you, but try to keep your head on straight." Snipe Hunter charged its weapon. "My name is…"

The imp fired and the world exploded in a flash of light.

TTTTTTTTTT

Achan blinked. The world had fallen into a recognizable order again after the attack. He was standing in the middle of the duel arena with Snipe Hunter standing in front of him, staring at a very confused Red McFadden. The giant man shook his head in amazement. "…You… how did… what…" the man babbled. Achan looked at the counter for McFadden's life points, and blinked in surprise. (LP: 1000- 1500= 0)

"INCREDIBLE! IN A STUNNING DISPLAY OF COURAGE, ACHAN SMITH SEIZED CONTROL OF THE DUEL AND COUNTERED HIS OPPONENT'S PLAY PERFECTLY! THE INVINCIBLE FORTRESS HAS FALLEN, AND A NEW LEGEND OF THE PRO LEAGUES SEEMS SET TO BEGIN!"

"B-But I didn't…" Achan tried to protest, but a strong hand gripped his shoulder.

"Get backstage kid," Kaito muttered. "I'll handle things here. I don't know what happened with you back there, but you should just roll with it for now, okay?"

Achan nodded furiously as he moved back, dimly aware that McFadden was being led offstage by one of his teammates, apparently still confused about his loss.

TTTTTTTTTTT

Kaito faced his opponent and smirked- it was the one with the neon-green hair. He didn't need Rachel's info to guess that he was the youngest member of the team, and probably the least-experienced too. "Ready to begin?" Kaito grinned by way of greeting.

"...I'll make your soul shake in place of our leader!" The green-haired duelist countered, raising his duel disk and activating it. A pre-programmed burst of holographic lightning scoured the stage.

"Don't you know that lions aren't afraid of housecats?" Kaito taunted as he activated his own duel disk, which released its trademark spray of golden light.

"AND HERE WE ARE FOLKS! AFTER A ROUSING FIRST MATCH, TEAM HOTBLOODS HAS SCORED AN EARLY LEAD, WITH ROOKIE ACHAN SMITH SOUNDLY DEFEATING VETERAN PLAYER RED McFADDEN! THE REMAINING MEMBERS OF TEAM THUNDERCLAP ARE BOTH NEWCOMERS TO THE DUELING CIRCUIT AS WELL, AND THEY'LL BE FACING THE VETERAN MEMBERS OF TEAM HOTBLOODS- KAITO SHISHIO, THE LION OF THE EAST, AND ALLISON SCHUYLER, FORMER SPITFIRE QUEEN! WILL TEAM HOTBLOODS PREVAIL, OR WILL TONIGHT SEE ANOTHER UPSET?"

Kaito smirked at his opponent. "You got a name?"

"…They call me the Unstoppable Force," the green-haired man replied confidently. "You want a full name, it's James King, the master of angel decks!"

Kaito stared at him for a moment and then groaned. "…Now you ruined the surprise!"

"What?"

"Nothing," Kaito groaned. "Now… ready, go!"

The holographic dice rolled, and King echoed Kaito's earlier smirk. "My move first!"

"NEWBIE JAMES KING GETS AN EARLY LEAD OVER SHISHIO BY CLAIMING THE FIRST MOVE- BUT WILL IT BE ENOUGH TO HOLD BACK THE LION OF THE EAST?"

King snapped a card from his deck. "I'll lead by setting a monster and one card- now show me your fangs, lion!"

"Wrong thing to say!" Kaito grinned as he drew. "Once you see a lion's fangs, it's already too late! I summon Storm Hound, in attack position!" The familiar electrical beast convulsed into existence on Kaito's field, stray bolts of energy crackling as it crouched and growled. (1500/1200)

"SHISHIO HAS SUMMONED ONE OF HIS SIGNATURE CARDS! HIS STRATEGY OF HEAVY BEATDOWN IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!"

"Storm Hound's effect lets me send two normal monsters from my deck to my graveyard to increase its attack points by three hundred for each monster I discard!" Kaito announced as he held up two cards- Master of the Underdog and King of the Veldt- before slipping them both into his graveyard slot. "Now… Storm Hound, let's go! _Storm Fang!_"

At Kaito's command, the hound threw back its head and howled before rushing the set card, lightning crackling in its wake. (2100/1200)

King shook his head. "Your fangs can't scratch an angel's armor! Arcana Force 0-The Fool, stop his charge!"

As the fangs of Storm Hound fell on the crouching monster, the hound was pushed away almost instantly by a magical barrier. The monster, a strange, humanoid creature with a web of tentacles in place of any sort of hair and gigantic, bug-like eyes, was unbothered by the assault. (0/0)

"Can't be destroyed, huh…," Kaito muttered, slipping two cards into his duel disk. "I end my turn!"

"AND SHISHIO'S ADVANCE IS REBUFFED! WILL KING MAKE GOOD ON HIS ADVANTAGE?"

King snapped as he placed a monster on his duel disk. "Now… I haven't drawn my killer play yet, Shishio, but I'll give you a taste of the power of my angels! I summon Majestic Mech Ohka to the field!"

Heavenly rays pooled and condensed beside King's alien creature. A tall, mystical creature stood beside the Fool, its body resembling some sort of wolf-like creature with mechanical joints and wings. The pink and red behemoth roared somehow, despite the fact that its head contained no evidence of any sort of mouth. (2400/1400)

Kaito yawned slightly. "…Is that it?"

"This is _more _than enough for first blood," King retorted. "Majestic Mech- Ohka! Attack his Storm Hound now! _Sacred Cherry Fire!_"

The angelic construct glowed with an inner light as it flew into the air, where it became surrounded by an aura of pink flame. It launched itself towards Kaito's hound, which was completely obliterated by the attack, before winging its way back to its original position. Kaito grimaced as his life points dropped. (LP: 4000- 900= 3100)

"Shaking _yet_?" King taunted. "During my end phase, my Majestic Mech is destroyed… but it's already claimed a victim, so it's an even trade!" The construct screamed as it exploded, slowly consuming itself with the same cherry-colored flames it had used in its earlier attack.

Kaito shook his head as he drew. "…That all you've got?"

"KING HAS STRUCK AND GAINED FIRST BLOOD, AND IS STILL CONFIDENTLY SAFE BEHIND HIS ARCANA FORCE SHIELD… BUT THE LION OF THE EAST SEEMS UNIMPRESSED!"

"…I've got enough," King laughed. "Enough to know you can't touch me! I know you Shishio… I've seen your matches… and I know that your biggest asset is that you've got power! My angel deck can counter that power easily… and even if it's short-lived, nothing you summon can break through my defenses! You may as well give up now!"

"…Lions don't give up," Kaito countered. "And housecats shouldn't brag about beating one just because they got a lucky hit! I summon Gladiator Beast Andal!"

The armored bear appeared, crashing his fists together, as Kaito selected a second card in his hand. "Next, I'll play Swing of Memories! I revive Master of the Underdog from my graveyard!" (1900/1500)

Next to the armored bear a breeze rustled and the familiar sound of children laughing heralded a burst of flame that released Kaito's headband-wearing warrior to the field, scowling as he lit his trademark cigarette. (1400/1000)

"SHISHIO HAS ASSEMBLED HIS SYNCHRO MATERIALS! BUT KING OF THE UNDERDOG, HIS ACE SYNCHRO, WILL BE NO GOOD IN THIS SITUATION! WHAT DOES HE HAVE IN MIND?"

"Master of the Underdog, level four! Gladiator Beast Andal, level four!" Kaito pointed one finger into the air. "Tuning!"

The Master of the Underdog threw his cigarette to the ground and stamped on it, exploding in the process. Four green rings expanded from the explosion, surrounding Andal. The armored bear's body faded into four stars, which slowly aligned themselves within the rings as Kaito chanted. "_On a field stained with blood, the ancient goddess continues her battle! Make the ground tremble with your fangs! Synchro summon!"_

The rotating rings and stars exploded into a column of light, and a strange creature stepped from it. The anthropomorphic lioness was dressed in red robes, and wore a crown tipped with a cobra set in gold. Above her head a gigantic orb of flames roiled and burned. "_Spill their blood, Sehkmet, the Goddess of War!" _(2500/2000)

"SHISHIO HAS SYNCHRO SUMMONED A NEW MONSTER! HOW WILL HIS OPPONENT COUNTER THIS?"

"Now I enter my battle phase…" Kaito shouted, "And Sehkmet's ability activates! _Fires of War!_"

The anthropomorphic lioness growled as a maze of flames snaked across the battlefield, striking Arcana Force 0. King jumped in surprise as his monster raised itself to its feet, switching battle positions. (0/0)

"During both of our battle phases, Sehkmet switches every monster on the field to attack position, and then the turn player has to attack with everything they have." Kaito pointed to the now-standing Fool. "If I can't pierce a shield, I'll just make it useless _as_ a shield! Sehkmet, attack now! _Bloody Flames!_"

The disk of fire above Sehkmet's head roiled and bubbled with energy before three bloody-red spears of flame shot from it. Before they could pierce through the Fool, however, a barrier of energy blocked the advance. "Rainbow Life," King grinned. "With this card I can discard any card in my hand to make all the damage you'd cause me this turn into life point gain." (LP: 4000+ 2500= 6500)

"INCREDIBLE! WITH A SINGLE CARD, SHISHIO'S ADVANTAGE HAS BEEN TOTALLY REMOVED! HOW WILL THE LION OF THE EAST RESPOND TO THIS?"

Kaito threw back his head and laughed. "_Now_ things are getting exciting!" he crowed. "Go on then- take your turn! Let's see if this match stays exciting!"

"Hmph." King drew, frowning. "This match is over! Get ready, lion- I'll shake your soul so hard that you'll never rise again! I activate the spell card Celestial Transformation! By my card's effect, I can special summon a fairy-type monster from my hand- but its attack points are halved- so I summon Majestic Mech Goryu!"

A single ray of light touched the field, and a massive shape formed within it. The light exploded, revealing a gigantic creature of white and gold, similar in design to Ohka but obviously modeled after a dragon of some variety. Its serpentine body twisted as it flew through the air, roaring. (1450/1800)

King laughed. "It's time Shishio… time for you to give up your title! I play Inferno Reckless Summon, special summoning as many copies as possible from my hand, deck, or graveyard of a monster with less than fifteen hundred attack points that I just special summoned! Normally you would get the same courtesy… but your only monster is Sehkmet, and you can't summon from the extra deck even if you have more than one copy! So come out… Majestic Mech Goryu, copies two and three!"

The field glowed with energy as two more of the white-and-gold angelic constructs descended from the sky, joining the first. All three of the creatures roared in triumph. (2900/1800) x2

"THIS IS IT! KING HAS SUMMONED THE COMBO THAT EARNED HIM HIS NICKNAME IN THE UNDERGROUND OF DUELING- THE INFERNO ANGEL ONE-TURN-KILL! WITH HIS LIFE POINTS AT A MAXIMUM AND ENOUGH POWER TO COMPLETELY OVERWHELM SHISHIO'S FIELD, THIS COULD BE THE END OF THE GAME!"

"…Get ready! I'll shake your soul to its core!" The 'Unstoppable Force' pointed at Kaito's last line of defense. "Goryu, destroy his Sehkmet! _Thunder Hammer!_"

Lightning crackled along the surface of the dragon's body, and it released its energy with a roar, aiming its attack directly at the anthropomorphic lioness. Kaito shook his head sadly. "…You really had to go in for a one turn kill, huh?"

TTTTTTTTTT

"Damn it… Kaito's in trouble…" Achan muttered as he stared at the two duelists.

"What are you talking about, Smith?" Wheels glared at him. "You've played against Shishio before, and there's no way he'll lose to this opponent. Haven't you seen his deck yet?"

"What do you mean?" Achan was taken aback.

"…That King guy out there is playing a power deck- a one-turn-kill aggressive strategy that's all about summoning strong monsters and going in for the throat. Shishio plays the same kind of deck. The only difference between them is that Shishio is better at it- power is his game." Wheels glared at Kaito, who was already reaching for one of his set cards.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

The set card on Kaito's left flipped up, and a familiar roar filled the arena. The ground shattered as a familiar gigantic lion leaped from it, roaring a challenge to the oncoming dragon and cancelling its attack. "Birthright special summons my King of the Veldt from the graveyard!"

"IN HIS TRADEMARK STYLE, SHISHIO HAS ONE-UPPED HIS OPPONENT'S MONSTERS! HOW WILL KING REACT?"

King frowned as he reached for his duel disk. "I end my…"

Before he could finish his sentence, the three dragons began to charge a second attack. "…What?"

"Did you already forget about Sehkmet?" Kaito laughed. "As long as she's in play, you _have_ to go through with your attack. And since you don't seem to want to keep this duel going, I don't think I should extend it any longer. I activate the trap card Beast Riser!" Kaito's final face-down flipped up, revealing a raging ape. "By removing one beast or beast-warrior I control from play, I can transfer its attack points to another one I control! I remove from play King of the Veldt, transferring all of its attack points to Sehkmet!"

King could only stare in shock as the King of the Veldt's entire body was transmuted into flame, which surrounded the lion goddess like a cloak. The newly-empowered Sehkmet roared her challenge at the approaching thunder dragons. (5500/2000)

"Sehkmet, counter-attack!" Kaito ordered. "Finish this game… _Bloody Flames!_"

Three spears of blood-red flame pierced through the angelic mechs, completely dismantling them. The Fool, while not destroyed, also suffered a piercing blow which knocked it to the ground. King fell to his knees, completely defeated. (LP: 6500- 2600- 2600- 4050- 5500= 0)

"INCREDIBLE! IN STUNNING FASHION, THE LION OF THE EAST HAS TURNED HIS OPPONENT'S OWN ONE-TURN KILL MANUEVER AGAINST HIM, COMPLETELY DESTROYING HIM!" The announcer roared as Kaito's supporters in the crowd leaped to their feet and cheered on their hero.

Kaito grinned at his fans before making a sweeping bow and leaping from the arena stage.

TTTTTTTTTTTTT

Achan blinked in awe. "…Wha… what was…"

"Reverse one-turn-kill," Rachel remarked smoothly. "That King guy played right into Shishio's hands."

Wheels nodded. "Shishio's deck isn't a regular normal deck. In a match of power, there's no way he'll lose. Now do you see why I had him duel King?"

Achan nodded slowly. "…Sort of…"

Kaito smirked as he walked back into the shelter of the hallway. "Well, that wasn't much of a duel," he complained. "Guess I could've let him survive for another turn or two, but I didn't feel like he'd appreciate it."

"Pity you didn't, Shishio," Wheels growled as she moved out of the hallway. "You could use a lesson in humility."

"Spoilsport," Kaito muttered irritably as he leaned next to Achan. "…So, Smith. You wanna talk about what happened to you earlier?"

"Wh-Wha?" Achan started slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb, Smith," Rachel sighed. "We both saw it. You weren't yourself when you made that final move. I know people. I make my living by knowing people. You weren't you out there, and I want an explanation as to just how that happened." She paused for a moment before adding "_Now._"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, TEAM HOTBLOODS HAS ALREADY SECURED THEMSELVES A VICTORY THIS EVENING, WITH BOTH ACHAN SMITH AND KAITO SHISHIO SCORING IMPRESSIVE VICTORIES! HOWEVER, TEAM THUNDERCLAP HAS OPTED TO CONTINUE THIS MATCH TO ITS END, AND SO THE LEADER OF TEAM HOTBLOODS WILL BE FACING TEAM THUNDERCLAP'S FINAL PLAYER… JORDAN STONE, THE LIGHTNING DEVIL!"

Wheels faced her opponent and activated her duel disk without saying a word. Stone was equally silent, activating his own disk and holding it up. The two combatants stared at each other for a moment before shouting. "DUEL!"

The holographic dice bounced, and Wheels immediately drew as hers landed on six. Stone, if he was bothered by this turn of events, didn't show it. "…Alright, rookie," Wheels growled as a set monster and two set cards appeared on her field. "Let's get this over with. I play Chain Energy." A green-framed card rose beside the two cards Wheels had set, shining with unearthly energy. "For each card either of us plays from our hands from now on, we have to pay five hundred life points. I end my turn."

"WHAT'S THIS? CHAIN ENERGY? IT SEEMS THAT SCHUYLER HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED HER STRATEGY SINCE HER ABSENCE FROM THE PRO LEAGUES!" The announcer raved. "HOW WILL HER OPPONENT RESPOND?"

Stone drew, gritting his teeth. "You can't scare me!" He growled. "I won't back off just because you're trying to burn my life points! I activate Dark World Lightning!" Even as he played the card, a golden aura surrounded him, sapping his life points. (LP: 4000- 500= 3500)

A lightning cloud appeared over Wheels's field, spitting and sparking. Stone pointed to the set card directly in front of her. "By my Dark World Lightning's effect, I destroy one set card on the field! I target that one!"

"…Such a rookie," Wheels muttered and pressed a button on her duel disk. The card flipped face-up, and a pentagram appeared on the floor, surrounding both duelists. "I chain Curse of Darkness to your Lightning."

"What good will that-?" Stone paused and stared at his lightning cloud, which had vanished. "…What…"

Wheels sighed. "If the card targeted by Dark World Lightning is chained and flipped face-up, Dark World Lightning's effect vanishes. And you also lose that follow-up discard you were counting on. Honestly, who the hell are you trying to impress out here? Me? Those idiots out there in the stands? That was a hell of a stupid move to _begin _with."

Stone's face began to contort in rage as Wheels continued. "…Anyone with half a brain knows to go straight for the monster when given the choice with Dark World Lightning. If you had, maybe you'd have half a chance of beating me. But you didn't. And you don't."

"INCREDIBLE! SCHUYLER EASILY COUNTERS HER OPPONENT'S FIRST MOVE, FORCING HIM TO WASTE BOTH HIS CARD AND HIS LIFE POINTS- AND NOW HE'LL HAVE ONE MORE DAMAGE-DEALING CONTINUOUS EFFECT TO DEAL WITH! ONLY A TRULY STRONG DUELIST CAN USE SUCH A DOUBLE-EDGED STRATEGY WITH IMPUNITY!"

"Sh-Shut up!" Stone continued, selecting another card from his hand. "I activate Dark World Dealings, forcing both of us to draw one card, then discard one card!" Chain Energy glowed again, sapping his strength even further. (LP: 3500-500= 3000)

"You really _are _the worst kind of rookie, aren't you?" Wheels snapped as she pointed to her face-up trap card. "Curse of Darkness causes both of us to take a thousand points of damage for every spell we play."

The pentagram underneath Stone's feat gleamed with red energy, and bolts of lightning ran along the floor, striking him repeatedly. He screamed in frustration, unprepared for this attack. (LP: 3000-1000= 2000)

"AND SCHUYLER PUSHES HER ADVANTAGE FURTHER! HER OPPONENT HAS LOST HALF HIS LIFE POINTS, AND THE DUEL HASN'T MOVED PAST THE SECOND TURN YET!"

Stone managed to regain self control long enough to draw and discard for his card's effect. "I send Grenn, Tactician of Dark World to the graveyard," he growled. "But by its effect since it was discarded, I destroy one spell or trap card you control. You may try to slow me down, but as the devil of Team Thunderclap, I won't stop! My target is…" he considered his options for a moment. "My target is Curse of Darkness!"

"Divine Wrath. I discard one card, your monster effect is negated." Wheels kept her eyes shut as a ray of golden light shielded her cards.

"SHUT UP!" Stone shouted at the top of his lungs as he practically slammed his next card onto his duel disk. "Mystical Space Typhoon destroys your Chain Energy!"

"Curse of Darkness and Chain Energy both require you to pay life points. Idiot," Wheels muttered.

Twin bolts of energy struck the duelist, and he screamed in rage as his life points ticked down even further. (LP: 2000- 500- 1000= 500)

"AND STONE HAS BEEN KNOCKED DOWN TO HIS LAST FIVE HUNDRED LIFE POINTS! NOW HIS SPELLS ARE SEALED! IF HE CONTINUES MAKING RECKLESS MOVES, SCHUYLER WON'T HAVE TO LIFT A FINGER TO WIN!"

Stone slapped a single card on his duel disk. "I summon Bronn, Mad King of Dark World in attack position!"

An insane man's laugh filled the arena as a strange figure rose up on Stone's field- a purple-skinned demon whose body was covered in pulsing veins and exposed bones. The creature raised its green, clawed hands and prepared to lunge even before Stone gave the order. "I won't let you scare me! I won't back down just because I'm in a corner! ATTACK!" (1800/400)

"…Game over."

The attack struck a red sphere with four prongs attached. The prongs clamped down on Bronn's arm, trapping the fiend as a countdown timer built into the sphere began to count down. "…My Blast Sphere equips itself to a monster that attacks it when it's face-down, and during your next standby phase, that monster's destroyed and you lose life points equal to its attack points."

Stone stared at the card blankly, realizing exactly what he had done, and dropped his cards to the ground. He began to move towards the back of the stage.

"Hey!"

He turned to face Wheels. "…I get it," he growled. "I'm a loser, okay? You got me, you win."

"…Idiot!" Wheels snapped. "At least finish the duel out like a man! Dammit, don't you know that in the pro leagues you can't just walk out of a match before it's over?"

Stone considered her words for a moment, and then leaped off the stage and left.

"…AND… AND SO BY FORFEIT, SCHUYLER WINS THE MATCH! TEAM HOTBLOODS SWEEPS THE FIRST ROUND OF THE TOURNAMENT THREE TO ZERO!" the announcer roared.

The crowd, which had grown hushed as Stone had made his exit, gradually began to cheer again. Within a few moments, the arena was full of fans screaming the approval of the latest victorious team.

Wheels turned to exit. "…Bastards," she muttered under her breath.

TTTTTTTTT

"I told you!" Achan protested, holding up his hands in alarm. "I don't know what happened! All of a sudden I heard a voice in my head, and then I saw this girl, and all of a sudden the match was over and I had won! I swear it's the truth!"

"…Nothing else? No other details? Come on, Smith, specifics," Rachel hounded.

"…Save it you two." Wheels moved into the room behind both of them. "We've made it past the preliminary rounds, and our careers are intact, which is more than I can say for that poor son of a bitch out there."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "…I wasn't watching," he admitted. "Did he-"

"Threw the match before it was finished."

Kaito whistled sympathetically.

"…What are you guys talking about?" Achan asked, genuinely confused.

"You'll see. Come on you three," Wheels growled. "Let's get out of here. The next team will need this space."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

**Wandering Beast**  
_Monster/Fire/Beast/Effect/4*_  
Atk 1800/Def 900  
When this card declares an attack, increase its Atk by 400x the number of "Wandering" monsters you control until the end of the damage step. When this card is destroyed by an opponent's card effect, you can send one spell card from your hand to the graveyard in order to special summon it during the end phase. You can remove this card in your graveyard from play to add one 'Limit Break- Cosmo Memory' from your deck to your hand.

**Limit Break-Beat Rush**  
_Normal Spell_  
Pay half your life points and select one "Wandering Fighter" you control. The selected monster gains 500 Atk until the end phase, and can attack all monsters your opponent controls once each. You do not have to pay life points if the selected "Wandering Fighter" is the only monster you control. You can only activate one "Limit Break" spell per turn.

**Sehkmet, Goddess of War**  
_Monster/Fire/Beast-Warrior/Synchro/8*_  
Atk 2500/Def 2000  
"1 tuner monster + 1 or more non-tuner monsters"  
During each player's battle phase, switch all monsters on the field to attack position. Both players must declare an attack with every monster they control. If this card is destroyed as a result of battle, during your standby phase you can equip it to a face-up monster you control as an equip spell card. The equipped monster gains this card's effects.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Been a while, hasn't it? Thanks for being patient, any of my loyal readers out there. I don't really have an excuse beyond me taking waaaaay too long to write this chapter, but here it is. Once again, thanks to Lux-Nero (aka AxelDH for my Janime readers) for his loan of the latest incarnation of Faust. Without further ado, please set back, relax, and enjoy some fanfiction._

**Yu-Gi-Oh! Burning Red**

_Game Eight: Prophecy of Defeat- King of the Underworld!_

Kaito walked across the arena of the duel stadium. He had never dueled in this particular one before. The ceiling was cut away, allowing the sun to shine down onto the center of its arena. He was unsure as to why the stadium was abandoned- the digital display signs surrounding it proudly proclaimed that a match was about to begin, and even identified him as one of the duelists. He peered at the other name, attempting to make it out. Something was wrong- he could read the letters, but none of them made sense when strung together. What was the name? Why was it impossible to read? Where were the others?

A whispering noise filled Kaito's ears and he looked from side to side, trying to recognize the source. He felt his heart beginning to pound against his chest like a sledgehammer. What was happening here? He was the Lion of the East, there was no reason for him to feel so-

_(frightened?)_

No, not frightened- Kaito was never frightened of anything. Nervous? No, that wasn't the word either. Why was every fiber of his body screaming at him to turn, to run, to find the exit to this stadium before it was too late? What would it be 'too late' for? It was just a duel, there was nothing to get excited about- it was just a duel.

The whispering was drowned out by the roar of machinery as a giant steel dome rose up, encasing the stadium entirely. For the first time, Kaito was conscious of the fact that he was alone in the now-dark building. No fans were cheering. Even the announcer's voice failed to come over the loudspeaker. He forced himself to smile. Nothing made sense, but that was okay, this was just a duel after all. Dueling was what he did- it was as natural as breathing. There was nothing-

_(frightening)_

To worry about when it came to dueling. It was just a game. All just a game.

A row of torches that circled the entire top tier of the stadium sprung to life. Kaito could have sworn they weren't there before. He whirled, his eyes dazzled by the sudden appearance of light in the dark stadium. Black figures stood- men and women in red uniforms of some sort, their faces obscured by the torch light. Why was all of this so familiar?

Footsteps.

Kaito felt his heart skip a beat. His

_(fear)_

Excitement was building to a crescendo. A figure was approaching- a man in a heavy coat, face obscured, carrying a duel disk on his right arm. His steps echoed as he walked- they were the only sound. Kaito felt himself raising his own duel disk and activating it, but the action felt distant somehow, as if it were the arm of a mannequin moving and not his own.

As if some kind of signal had been fired, the figures holding the torches dropped them to the ground, setting the stands around the duel arena ablaze. In the light of the massive pyre, Kaito saw heat ripple around his opponent's body, changing him. His coat shrank, a sneer appeared on his face, and he stood proudly, dressed in a yellow uniform. Kaito looked down at himself- a red uniform, like the one the torch-bearers had worn, now covered his body. What was this? Who was he fighting?

His opponent laughed maniacally, and the whispering noise from before returned and intensified. The floor underneath Kaito cracked as the stands collapsed and burned. Kaito felt the flames spreading and licking at his feet, but he couldn't stop staring at the other duelist. Who was he? Why was he laughing?

The other duelist finally calmed himself down, and noticed Kaito. He grinned, his eyes gleaming with the wild light of madness, and produced a switchblade. Kaito felt a chill run down his spine and tried to move his feet. They remained rooted to the ground, unable to budge. The other duelist walked forward, laughed, and thrust with his knife, piercing Kaito's chest.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"_GAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOO!_"

Kaito rolled out of bed and crashed to the ground roaring, sending his sheets flying into the air. He blinked as the universe fuzzed into existence. He was lying on the ground in his own home, in his own bedroom. His body was covered with sweat, and despite his best efforts to convince himself it had just been a run-of-the-mill nightmare, he felt himself shivering. The feeling of shock and horror gradually faded as he stood and looked around, getting his bearings again. He idly glanced at the palm of his hand, at the roaring lion mark. He spat in disgust after a moment and reached for his clothes, which were lying in an untidy pile near the bed.

He had a team meeting today. Dreams had no place bursting into his life and screwing around with it. Particularly nightmares.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"You're late," Cole remarked as Kaito dragged himself into the conference room and slumped into a sofa.

Kaito frowned. "Overslept," he explained.

Achan looked up from the corner, where he and Wheels had been going over the proper ways of telegraphing that you were holding a damage-reactive card in your hand for the sixteenth time that morning, this time overseen by Rachel. Wheels followed suit, rolling her eyes at the Lion of the East's disheveled appearance. "About time," she snapped, wheeling over to Kaito's couch. "Been waiting on you for half an hour now. Are you even taking this seriously, Shishio?"

Kaito yawned in response. "I'm here, aren't I? So what's the big news about? It's just a meeting. We're not due for another match 'til tomorrow."

Wheels grimaced in response, considered a retort, then apparently thought better of it and sighed. "…Shishio, one of these days that attitude's going to drag you straight into a brick wall when you least expect it. Anyway, I called a meeting today because I figured you all might want to see this." She produced newspaper article, which had been lying on her lap, and pressed it into Kaito's hands.

Kaito stared at the headline. "…Stone got kicked out of the pro leagues that fast?"

"His first match," Wheels agreed. "Lost his sponsor's backing the moment he walked off. McFadden's an old pro, so his job's safe for now- not that he deserves it, bastard that he is- but Stone was new meat, no reputation outside the little leagues. They murdered him." Her eyes blazed. "Tell me Shishio, ever seen that happen to someone? Have you been a pro long enough to know exactly what the stakes are if you show weakness in front of the crowd?"

"…Weakness?" Kaito shrugged. "Don't underestimate me… lions don't back down."

"Wild lions maybe," Wheels growled, "but tame ones?"

"I'm not a tame lion." Kaito grinned.

"Either way Shishio… just remember, you're going to have to live with the fact that you'll crush some young kid someday the way I crushed Stone, and he'll lose his chance at his dream. When that day comes, are you going to be able to accept responsibility?"

Kaito thought for a moment. "I'll deal with that when I have to. Right now, I'm more interested in my next duel."

"Well then." Wheels moved to the back of the room, towards the elevator. "I'm going to go get a drink. This meeting's over, far as I'm concerned… I just wanted to make sure you all saw what kind of stakes we're playing for and grill the kid for a little while."

"I'm going too." Rachel grinned. "I've got… things to discuss." With that she easily matched Wheels's pace and held the door open for her. The wheelchair-bound woman smiled grudgingly as the two exited the room together.

_Achan?_

Achan glanced up at Devi, who was hovering above his head. "…Eh…?"

_I'm going too. Haven't been to a bar in ages, and that El Dorado place looked pretty nice… you'll be fine without me, right?_ Before Achan could answer, the bat-winged puffball zoomed out the door. _Great, thanks, see ya round!_

"I believe I'll follow them." Cole vacated his seat and strode toward the door. "I have nothing to do beyond make sure our next match is in order anyway, and I'd like a drink myself."

The conference room sat empty for a moment save for Achan and Kaito. Achan wondered for a moment about whether he should strike up a conversation, but before he could open his mouth, Kaito had leaped to his feet. "Well, I'm bored. I'm gonna go see if there's anything interesting going on downtown. See you round, Smith." With that, Kaito dashed out the door as well.

Achan found himself suddenly and completely alone. He sat in silence for a moment, trying to decide what to do. "Um… voice in my head?" he ventured.

He was met with no reply.

"…Should've seen that coming…"

_[Follow him.]_

Achan leaped to his feet. That voice… that wasn't the usual one. "Who…"

_[Even lions fall into traps._]

Achan didn't think, and stopped asking. Instead, he raced out the door in a futile effort to catch up with Kaito.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTT

About twelve blocks from Babylon International corporate headquarters, Achan began to reconsider whether running after Kaito was such a good idea after all. He had underestimated the older redhead's speed and stamina- he had half-run, half walked through the crowded streets of New York with barely a pause, making his way easily through pedestrian traffic. Achan, on the other hand, was not so physically fit- he began to breathe heavily, and he felt the beginnings of a side-stitch coming on. "…Where the hell is all that energy coming from?" he muttered to himself. "…He plays c_ard games_ for a living…"

"You tired already?"

Achan whirled in surprise. Somehow, while he had been catching his breath, Kaito had slipped behind him. "K-Kaito!"

"That's me." Kaito grinned. "I've been waiting to see how long you were going to follow me, but I've gotta say, I'm disappointed. Twelve blocks? You should work out more often!"

"…So that's how…" Achan gasped for breath.

"Well, I'm bored," Kaito grinned again. "I'm going to a little place I know to see if I can round up a dueling opponent, and-"

His mouth froze and he turned towards a nearby alleyway. "…That sound…"

Kaito's face clouded over for a moment and he rushed in, leaving Achan behind.

Achan could only limp after him painfully as he recovered his breath. _Dammit… what the hell is going on? Kaito didn't look right…_

As he limped, the sounds of an unfamiliar hip-hop song of some sort assailed his ears.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Kaito knew.

He knew that song backwards and forwards. It had been at the top of the charts before he'd left for the states. He knew the lyrics. And he also knew that the song was unavailable in the US. The only person he knew had a copy of it in any form was himself, and he could only think of one other person who'd be playing it after all this time. Even though maybe some small part of his brain that could still handle rational thinking was rapidly whispering to him that it wasn't necessarily that person playing the song, he somehow _knew_ it was.

He was there, at the end of the alley, dressed in a white trench coat, his trademark coke-bottle glasses balanced on his nose and his spiky green hair immaculately pushed into position. Kaito skidded to a halt. For the first time in two years, he spoke a word of Japanese. "_…You're…_"

Faust leaned down and clicked a button on the miniature speaker beside him, shutting off the song- "Finger on the Trigger". "_Shishio…_" he grinned as he stood up. "_Been too long… since you stole my life!_"

"_What the-"_

Kaito's words were cut off as a right hook sent him sprawling. "_Get up, Shishio!" _Faust ordered, sunlight reflecting from his lenses and giving them an unearthly shine. "_I've been waiting years for this… ever since we left Duel Academia! You left before we could finish our last match, remember?"_

Something clicked in Kaito's head and he felt himself transported back. That

_(nightmare)_

Strange dream he'd had the night before… the arena had been the outdoor dueling field at Neo Domino' academy. The uniforms he had seen were academy uniforms- his own Osiris Red and Faust's Ra Yellow. But then, that meant his opponent, the one who had killed him was-

"_Get up already, Shishio!" _

Kaito felt himself getting to his feet, but the movements were as detached as the ones in his dream. "…Faust…" he said… "_…I still don't understand what the hell you're talking about! It's true I left before we had our final match, but I never stole-"_

"_Don't lie, Shishio!"_

TTTTTTTTTT

Achan stumbled after Kaito, breathing heavily, only to see him pulling himself to his feet. "…Kaito…" he groaned as he stumbled into the alleyway, "What are you doing?"

He arrived just in time to see Kaito struck down by a man in a white trench coat. Before he could open his mouth or react, Kaito was on his feet again, the two shouting at each other in Japanese faster than Achan could follow. "…Who… what…?"

_[Do not interfere.]_

Achan froze in place as he heard the voice. "…Who are…" he whispered.

_[You are only here to safeguard that man's life if he loses.]_

TTTTTTTTTTTT

"Your disk," Faust sneered at Kaito, switching to English. "Activate it. I've waited too long for this match Shishio! The match that will settle our rivalry once and for all!"

Kaito felt his arm move again, activating his duel disk almost reflexively. "Faust… I still have no clue what in the hell you're talking about!" he shouted.

"You'll know in a minute…" Faust chuckled mirthlessly. "I'll move first!"

Before Kaito could contest Faust's declaration in any way, the smirking man had already slipped a card into his graveyard slot. "My first play… by sending Skull Conductor from my hand to the cemetery, two zombie-type monsters with attack points equaling two thousand in total will be special summoned… come out, Burning Skull Heads!"

Kaito brought up his arms to shield himself as the phantom image of a train rushed by, and two human skulls wreathed in flames leaped from it. Both cackled as a burst of flames washed from them, striking him and wrapping him in a temporary holocaust. (LP: 4000-2000= 2000)

"Burning Skull Head burns you for a thousand points of damage when summoned from the hand… And both Skull Heads have one thousand attack points." Faust's grin combined with the light reflecting from his glasses gave him the image of a mad scientist as he spread his arms. "Well Shishio, do you remember now… the pain of hellfire?"

"As if!" Kaito retorted. He felt himself begin to relax a little. "You haven't changed at all since back then Faust!"

"You're the one who hasn't changed!" Faust laughed as a large, skull-covered cannon rose from the earth behind him. "Everliving Underworld Cannon will burn you for eight hundred once each turn for the special summon of an zombie-type monster!"

Kaito felt a shiver running down his spine, which he knew must have been from excitement. "…You're going to special summon again then?"

"Precisely!" Faust placed another card on his duel disk. "Tuner monster, Plaguespreader Zombie!"

A shambling monster rose up, a bloated, stitched-together Frankenstein's monster of parts. The beast moaned as it stretched a hand towards Kaito. (400/500)

The monstrosity ripped a hole in its own chest, releasing a swarm of flies that separated themselves into two glowing rings which line up across a constellation of six stars created by the Burning Skull Heads as Faust raised his arms into the air. "_A lone figure wanders the world… his dark justice is feared by all! Synchro summon! Take aim, Lone Skull Rider_!"

As the column of light burst from the synchro summon, a skull-shaped bullet slammed into Kaito, depleting his life points. He rubbed his eyes, trying to make out the shape of Faust's new monster. (2000- 800= 1200 LP)

The synchro monster wasn't much taller than Faust- it was a man in an armored white bodysuit, its face obscured by a helmet-like mask decorated with a skull-like pattern. A crisp, white scarf fluttered around its neck, and a battered white fedora sat atop its head. The monster twirled the strange gun in its left hand, pointing at Kaito, as Faust imitated the motion. "Now Shishio… now, count up your sins!" (2000/1200)

The ground below the rider cracked as several ghost-like shapes rose up, flowing into its weapon. Faust grinned. "Every level three or lower zombie-type monster used in Lone Skull Rider's synchro summon is equipped to it as an equip spell… I end my turn."

TTTTTTTTTTT

Creed smirked as he looked down from the roof of a building at the dueling combatants below. "A bright sunny day? No… no, that will never do." He twisted the ring on his right hand and banged his cane against the building's roof.

Overhead, the sky darkened with ominous clouds.

TTTTTTTTT

Kaito felt himself shiver as he drew the top card of his deck. "Heh… you think that's scary?" he asked, pointing at Faust. "I'll tear right through your defense! I activate Card Destruction, sending both our hands to the graveyard and forcing us both to draw the same number of cards we just sent!"

Faust yawned as he discarded, drawing only a single card. "Heh… you really don't have a clue, do you Shishio?"

"What?" Kaito asked as he drew. "What the hell do you keep talking about? Just explain why you want to duel me already!"

"That's unlike you, Shishio… you never needed a reason to duel before." Faust licked his lips. "Maybe I should explain it this way… we were rivals in school, the strongest in Ra and Osiris. You could have fought your way up to my level if you had been consistent in your studies… but you never were. And one day, you decided to drop out of Duel Academia and look for a career in the Underground. I, being the top student, decided to take the path of becoming Duel Academia's Kaiser. And now…"

Faust leveled his finger accusingly. "You were the one approached by the contract that drew you into the limelight… and I've been left to rule the Underground, superior in my own domain but unable to find a challenge worth my time! That's why I've come back to find you Shishio… I'll settle our rivalry once and for all! If I can't ascend above you, I'll drag you down to the depths of hell with me!"

Kaito felt his hand beginning to tremble with what he was sure was the same excitement as before. "Then… then I'll break free of your grip and rise above you again, Faust! I summon Master of the Underdog, in attack position!_" _Kaito's red-haired fighter vaulted over the duelist's head, skidding to a halt as it lit its cigarette, striking a flame from between its fingers rather than using a match. (1400/1000)

Kaito selected a second card. "I activate Swing of Memories, bringing back my Vorse Raider from the graveyard!_" _The fiendish warrior lunged forward as the sound of laughing children filled the air, standing alongside the Master with his blade at the ready. (1900/1500)

Kaito managed to stop the trembling in his hand long enough to point at his monsters. "Vorse Raider tunes with Master of the Underdog!_ Burning spirit, lion's fangs, crimson blade! Synchro summon! Fight on, King of the Underdog!" _ The synchro display burst, resulting in the usual pyrotechnics, and the broadsword-wielding king strode forward and twirled his blade expertly, pointing it across the field. (2800/1400)

Faust sighed. "You're the one who hasn't changed at all since that day Shishio… even your synchro speeches have gone back to your old ones. You're still nowhere near the level of strength I've reached_!"_

Kaito briefly wondered how Faust knew he had changed speeches before slipping a card from his hand into the graveyard. "King of the Underdog's ability lets me discard a card to bring back any normal monster… I'll resurrect my King of the Veldt!_" _ With a roar, the lion broke through the ground, its flaming mane blazing with power. (3000/1500)

Kaito felt his body continuing to tremble. Honestly, why was he so

_(frightened)_

Excited? It was just a normal duel anyway… and he had the edge. He pointed to his King. "King of the Underdog, attack! _Broken Fang_!"

The King dashed forward, lifting his broadsword in an effort to cleave Faust's monster in two with one blow. Faust shook his head and laughed. "Kaito… you're still an idiot, rushing an opponent's monster without knowing its effect! Lone Skull Rider can sacrifice a zombie-type monster equipped to it to either halve your monster's attack points or prevent its own destruction! Lone Skull Rider, counter! _Finger on the Trigger_!_"_

The strange, armored figure on Faust's field raised its handgun and fired a single bullet, the spectral image of Faust's zombie tuner surrounding the shot. King of the Underdog stumbled back; its strength sapped, and fell to its knees. (1400/1400)

Faust pointed at the fallen monster. "Heh… Lone Skull Rider, finish it!" At his command, the monster squeezed its trigger again, only for the King to bring up his Broadsword in one last heroic effort, blocking the blow and charging forward bravely. "What?"

"Quickplay spell, Rush Recklessly,"Kaito declared as his King rushed forward. "One monster I control gains seven hundred attack points_!" _(2100/1400)

"Heh… not bad, Shishio! My Lone Skull Rider will fire again!" Faust smirked as a second bullet pierced through the King of the Underdog, destroying it completely. His monster twirled its gun before holstering it. "Heh… my turn ends here!"

Kaito clutched his chest and breathed heavily, growling, as his life points dropped again. (1200- 600= 600)

TTTTTTTTTTTT

Achan breathed a sigh of relief. "It looks pretty bad out there, but Kaito's still holding on, and his opponent's nearly out of cards…" he muttered as he continued to watch, hidden behind a nearby trashcan. "I wanna help, but…"

_[You cannot help him. The barrier erected around these two will not vanish until their duel has ended… were it not for your exceptional "sight", you would be unable to even notice them.]_

"…Who are you?"

_[Someone who has great concern that Shishio not be killed once he loses this match.]_

"And how do you know that he's gonna-"

_[He will lose.]_

TTTTTTTTTTTT

A single card appeared behind King of the Veldt as Kaito panted heavily, as if exhausted.

A smiled played around Faust's lips as he drew. "Well. Shishio… now that you're running low on power, you won't mind if I finish this, will you? Draw!" A mad light entered the eyes of the green-haired duelist as he selected one of the two cards in his hand. "Heh, heh! Spell card, Akashic Record! I draw... and if either of the two cards I'll draw has been played, I remove 'em from play!" As the mad light danced in his eyes, Faust revealed the cards. "Haha… and neither of these cards has seen play, so I think I'll summon one right now! Shutendoji, come out!" At Faust's commands, a red-skinned ogre with a wild blonde mane roared as it leapt onto the field, a gourd of sake clutched in one hand. (1500/800)

Kaito stared at the set card. It was a trap… Interdimensional Matter Transporter?

"Shutendoji's monster effect… I get to remove two zombies in my graveyard from play to draw a card." Faust leered as two dancing lights rose up from his grave, pooling into his deck. "_Banishing Spirits!_"

Faust pointed at Kaito's raging lion. "…Heh… Lone Skull Rider... attack his King of the Veldt! _Finger on the Trigger!_"

As the rider fired his final equip spell, wounding Kaito's lion and then coldly dispatching it, Kaito gritted his teeth. It was now or never. (600- 500= 100 LP)

Faust pointed directly at his opponent. "Shutendoji… finish him!"

As the red-skinned ogre rushed Kaito, he pressed a button on his duel disk. The ground split open and with a roar, the lion king leapt from it, leering at Faust's smaller monsters "I activate Birthright…" (3000/1500)

Faust glowered back at the lion as two set cards appeared on his field. "Typical… I end my turn… go on Shishio. Let's see what you've got."

Kaito drew, and swiftly selected his first card. "I'll summon Gene-Warped Warwolf, in attack position!" With a howl, the four-armed werewolf appeared beside his lion, dwarfed in size by the massive beast but still flowing with energy. (2000/100)

Kaito felt his confidence returning as he gave the order. "King of the Veldt, attack Lone Skull Rider! _Wrath of the Beast King!_"

The air was filled with roaring as the gigantic beast leapt into the air and fell upon Lone Skull Rider, savagely mauling the gun-wielding fighter. Faust merely smirked, watching without emotion as his ace card was ripped limb from limb. (4000-1000=3000)

Gene-Warped Warwolf lunged before Kaito had even given the order. "Gene-Warped Warwolf, attack! _Four Direction Claw!"_

As the werewolf lunged at Shutendoji, a field of static surrounded the ogre, and it faded from the existence. Instead, the four claws slashed at Faust, who merely laughed as the bloodthirsty creature struck at him again and again. (3000-2000=1000 LP)

"…You used your card to let my attack through…" Kaito growled, remembering the trap he had seen Faust holding. "You removed your own monster from play! Why?"

A lightning bolt jumped within the storm cloud overhead. Faust threw back his head and laughed like a lunatic. "Shishio… nothing's changed since you were a student! You're still completely lost… completely unable to tell when your opponent is toying with you, or when you're being baited into something! You have no idea what you're up against, do you?" The laugh rose to a high-pitched, mad cackle as a second trap card on Faust's field flipped face-up.

Kaito stared at it. "That's…?"

A sudden burning sensation filled Kaito's mind as he remembered.

_"Revived King Ha Des… Direct attack!"_

_As the green-skinned zombie charged at his growling Luster Dragon, Kaito pointed to his trap card. "I activate Interdimensional Matter Transporter, removing my monster from play until the end phase!"_

_The green-haired student he was dueling stared at him. "Hahahaha… you're interesting! You'd really sacrifice your own life points just to protect a monster that wouldn't do you any good to begin with?"_

"_My monster has a lion's heart… and so do I! I'll activate Shock Draw!"_

"Precisely!" Faust cackled as he drew quickly, adding three cards to his hand. "I'll draw one for each thousand points of damage I took."

As Kaito stared, the chill running down his spine intensified to the point where he barely managed to whisper "…I end…"

Faust smirked as he drew. "…I remember, that was the day you said that you would never play direct damage, because any match should be settled by battle. Well, Shishio, I've got a treat for you…I activate Double Cyclone!"

Faust's Underworld Cannon exploded into shrapnel as a fierce windstorm struck the playing field of both duelists, simultaneously striking the Birthright that Kaito had used to summon King of the Veldt. With a roar, the lion burst into flames and fell to its knees, removed from the field. Kaito felt the hairs on the back of his neck beginning to stand up. "…Why… why did you just destroy your own card?"

"Because Shishio… because I wanted to make sure that when I finished you in this duel, you wouldn't be able to say it was a cheap shot. I want to make it perfectly clear to you how much farther I've grown than you… how much I've surpassed you!" He slipped a card from his hand back to the top of his deck. "I return this card to my deck in order to resurrect Plaguespreader Zombie!" The ground below Faust cracked open, and with a sickening moan, the decaying creature pulled itself out, maggots dropping from its body. (400/500)

Faust raised his arms. "Plaguespreader… tune with Shutendoji!" The ogre roared as the zombie rent its body once again, releasing the cloud of flies. The familiar column of light erupted behind Faust as he chanted. "_Dead king of hell, become the ruler of all things undead! Synchro summon! Grasp your scepter, Revived King Ha Des!"_

Kaito felt his heart inadvertently leap as the green-skinned demon rose from the column, the same one from his memories. The creature moaned as it shuffled forward, its purple robes bearing the design of a laughing skull. (2450/0)

Faust noticed his opponent's reaction and grinned. "Shishio… you think your nightmare ends here? Trap card activate, Return from the Different Dimension!" (1000-500= 500)

A series of portals appeared around Faust, warping the air as the figures of all of his monsters that had been removed from play slipped out. The first to emerge was the shambling, maggot-ridden corpse of Plaguespreader Zombie. Close behind, a chattering Burning Skull Head zoomed across the field, laughing in its high-pitched eerie voice. The final figure that emerged was the skeleton of a young girl, clutching a small child's toy. (400/500) (1000/800), (0/0)

Kaito stared at the girl's skeleton. "…Sleepy Beauty… you discarded it when-"

Faust pointed at his monsters. "That's right Shishio… I've been planning this ever since you played Card Destruction! Level two, Plaguespreader, level three, Burning Skull Head, level one, Sleepy Beauty, tuning!" The moaning tuner ripped a hole in its own body once again, releasing the swarm of flies that transmuted into the gleaming rings. Burning Skull Head and Sleepy Beauty burst and transformed into four blazing stars. "_The corpse of a demon is resurrected, fueled by the fires of hatred! Synchro summon! Take revenge, Archfiend Zombie Skull!"_

The synchro display burst into a column of light, and Faust's newest monster emerged. The creature towered above both players, its body resembling nothing so much as a massive, bat-winged demon stripped of all of its skin. Grey bones stood against dark, string-like sinews, some of them disconnected from the body. Two massive, curling horns sprouted from its head. The creature spread its wings and roared as lightning struck around it. (2500/1200)

Kaito felt himself take a step backwards involuntarily. What was this feeling, clutching at his heart, draining his strength? He forced himself to step forward again.

Faust cackled and pointed at Kaito's lone monster. "Archfiend Zombie Skull… finish this. _Lightning Breaker!"_

The creature crossed its massive arms for a moment before cracking its neck to either side. Then, in a blur of motion, it crossed the distance between Faust's field and Kaito's defending werewolf. The archfiend brought up its claws for a moment and then slashed downward, rending its target in half and utterly destroying it. Kaito fell backwards as his life points dropped. (100- 500= 0)

"Pathetic," Faust smirked as he walked towards his fallen rival. "The Lion of the East is such a weak duelist? The American Pro Leagues must be filled with completely useless players!" Before Kaito could respond, a vicious right hook caught the side of his face, knocking him sprawling onto the ground. Faust walked over to him as he gasped and attempted to rise to his feet again, preparing to viciously kick him in the side. "You're a worthless rival now, Shishio!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTT

Achan saw Faust raise his leg for a kick and, without quite thinking about exactly what he was doing, rushed out from his hiding place. "H-Hey, stop!" He shouted, flailing his arms. "Back off! He's had enough!"

Faust stared at him coldly for a moment and then grinned, stepping forward and cracking his knuckles. "Back off, boy… what I'm doing now is only a fraction of what he did to me."

Achan felt his legs shaking, but he refused to move. He looked Faust directly in the eye. "…I… I warn you, if you don't get out of here, I'll have to get serious!"

Faust stared at him blankly and then burst into laughter. "…Funny, boy, now get out of the way or I'll-"

_[You're hopeless. Let me handle this.]_

Before Achan could react to the strange voice's words, he felt his consciousness slip away.

TTTTTTTT

Faust stepped towards his motionless opponent. "Alright boy, get the hell out of my…"

Achan's eyes snapped open, and a harsh wind whipped through the alleyway, blowing Faust's coat back and causing the larger duelist to stumble. "…What…?"

"_Move,_" Achan said in flawless Japanese. "_You've got what you came for. Now go back to your underworld."_

"Tch…" Faust glared for a moment before turning back to Kaito, who was staring at the scene in front of him in disbelief. "Lucky you, Shishio. Your little friend here is more of a man than you are." He stormed past Achan, making sure to bump against his shoulder as he left.

Achan fell to his knees, gasping for breath as his consciousness returned. "…K-Kaito… you okay?"

Kaito stared at Achan for a moment, as if he couldn't recognize him. After what seemed like an eternity, the red-haired duelist pulled himself to his feet. "…No," he admitted. After a moment of standing in silence, he began to walk out of the alley, his head bowed.

Achan stared, a nauseous feeling rising in the pit of his stomach. "Kaito, where are you going?"

"Nowhere, I guess."

Kaito limped out of the alleyway, clutching at his arm with his head bowed. His usual bravado was completely gone. The light had gone out of his eyes. He continued stumbling as he finally reached the street, melting into the crowd of people. Overhead, the storm clouds began to rumble as a light fall of rain hit the earth, forcing passers-by to move under the cover of buildings and awnings. Kaito continued walking, seemingly unaffected by the downpour.

Achan felt the nauseous feeling grow.

"…Oh shit."

TTTTTTTTTT

FAKE CARDS USED

**Lone Skull Rider**  
_Monster/Dark/Zombie/Synchro/Effect/8*_  
Atk 2000/Def 1200  
"1 zombie-type tuner + 2 or more level three or lower zombie-type non-tuners"  
When this card is synchro summoned successfully, you can equip all level three or lower zombie-type monsters used in its synchro summon to this card as equip spells. When this card battles an opponent's monster, by sending one monster equipped to it to the graveyard, halve that monster's original Atk. When this card would be destroyed, destroy one monster equipped to it instead.

_(This card was originally created by author Lux-Nero, though I fiddled with the effect and level a bit. Credit for its original design and overall effect is all his, though.)_


	9. Chapter 9

**Yu-Gi-Oh! Burning Red**

_Game Nine: Farewell Shishio! The Death of a Lion!_

_(dark)_

Kaito closed his eyes and curled into a ball on top of his bed, not bothering to pull up the covers. It was-

_(dark)_

-in his room. The lights had been shut off, and every curtain was drawn. His doors were all securely locked. The moment he had walked in the door he had stripped off his duel disk, tossing the expensive machine aside unceremoniously like so much dead weight, barely noticing the metallic clank as it impacted the floor and slid down the hallway, his deck still inside it. Then he had taken his cell phone and cannibalized it, removing both the battery and SIM card. He had placed the pieces on the table carefully and then moved into his room to lick his wounds.

_(beaten)_

He had been utterly defeated. His opponent hadn't even been trying very hard. What was worse, the duel had been completely undone because he had been… he had been…

_(scared)_

He couldn't move. Kaito lay on his bed, completely motionless, until he sank into a deep and completely dreamless sleep.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Mmmpprg…"

Cole felt around in the dark, reaching for the loud, buzzing object that had shattered his slumber with its incessant ringing.

Last night, he dimly remembered, had been filled with carousing, laughing, and making merry. If the pounding headache that elevated each sound he heard from a dim annoyance to the equivalent of a brass band playing at full volume in his skull cavity was any indication, it also included him drinking just a bit more scotch than he had intended. He couldn't quite remember why, but he had a gut feeling that he could probably blame all of this on that girl.

A small, brown puffball with devil wings, invisible to the manager, hovered over his shoulder. _I tell ya, I tell ya, _the small spirit moaned, _I used ta- used ta be somebody! Seal spirit even! Watchin' over things that shou- that shouldn't…_

Cole's groping hand finally located the alarm clock, and he immediately smashed his fist into it, cutting off the ringing noise. Devi was jolted awake suddenly. _Wh-wha? _The spirit yelped in surprise before taking in his surroundings. He floated in place for a moment. _…I really hope I didn't do anything embarrassing last night. I mean, it would be awful if I did anything like…_

Devi's thoughts trailed off as Cole attempted to climb out of bed, only to slam into an invisible barrier. Cursing, the manager fell back as Devi finished his thought. _…That._

With a quick waggling of his wings, Devi located and removed the barriers he had set around the house one by one. Somehow in his ecstasy he had constructed twelve of the invisible walls, and had next to no memory of it. The duel spirit dimly wondered how he had become so sloshed.

Cole, meanwhile, struggled to his feet just as his cell phone- sitting neatly on the ground, next to his pants- began to ring. Clutching his head, he made his way over to the phone and picked it up.

"_Mr. Matthews, can you hear me? It's me, Achan. I've been trying to get through to you since last night. Listen, there's been an accident, Kaito's vanished."_

Cole felt slightly ill as he finished listening to the voicemail and reached down, slowly pulling his suit on. It was going to be a long day. His hand reached down to a pocket and he groaned in frustration. His wallet was missing.

It was going to be a long morning after indeed.

He recovered quickly. There was nothing to be gained in simply sitting around. Still moaning as he nursed his headache, he picked up his cell phone and dialed. The team leader had to know, if she didn't already.

"_Hello?"_

The sharp tone of the voice caused Cole to wince. Exactly how much scotch had he drunk? If the headache he had right now was any indication, he had somehow managed to clear out at least a bottle's worth, presumably before his wallet had been stolen. "Listen, Schuyler," he managed to say between biting back groans of pain. "Smith's gone AWOL… we need a meeting now. I'm gonna hang up, I've got a bad hangover…"

"_Interesting. I'll let her know in a moment, we're eating breakfast right now. See you as soon as your headache's better, Matthews."_

It wasn't until Cole closed his cell phone that he realized he had been talking with Rachel.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Cole closed his cell phone tightly and looked up. "It's no good," he sighed as he rose from the armchair he had settled into and stretched. "Shishio's disconnected his phone entirely. You were right to be worried, Smith. Whatever happened to him the other day put him in one of his moods again. He'd never break his phone if he wasn't really depressed."

The other members of Team Hotbloods were gathered around the Babylon International conference room set aside for their use. Rachel and Wheels seemed largely indifferent to the disappearance of Kaito, instead periodically glancing at each other as if trying to send a message without being overheard. Bernard sat in the corner and incessantly stared at the unoccupied couch where Kaito normally sat, as did Achan.

Wheels was the first to speak up. "…You sure we can't just go over to his house and drag the damn cub out of bed?" she growled. "It was one f*cking duel. Not worth locking himself up over."

"I tried that," Cole sighed. "He's locked his door, and he refuses to answer me at all. By all accounts, this is by far the most devastating loss Shishio's ever had… he might be sulking for days, perhaps weeks, before he'll get up and go about his business again."

Rachel grinned lopsidedly. "I wouldn't even give him that long. It's Shishio. If you mention an exciting opponent will be there for your next match, he'll probably turn up just to see who it is. A few card games later, he'll be back to his old self." She nodded decisively.

Achan frowned. "…But… that man really beat him bad. You sure we can afford to just leave him alone? I mean, he might be-"

"It's not worth your time worrying over, kid," Wheels growled. "Shishio's a pro. If he can't show enough balls to leave his room after a bad loss, he's not going to survive in the leagues much longer anyway. Besides, we've got a couple of days before our next match."

"I-I know that, but still…" Achan groaned slightly. "I mean, it's _Kaito_. It's like… I dunno, I just don't feel right going ahead and leaving him behind like this. I mean, he… I didn't even know he was _capable_ of being depressed and knowing he's completely broken makes me worried and now I'm just-" He paused and glanced at the other occupants of the room, who were all now staring at him uncomfortably. "…What?"

"…Smith… don't take this the wrong way, but are you entirely certain you're straight?" Rachel asked drily.

Achan blinked and stared at her, confused. "…Last time I checked, yeah?"

"Funny. For a minute there, I could have sworn you were crushing on Shishio," the photographer replied curtly, shaking her head. In the corner, Cole and Wheels covered their mouths to hide their laughter as Achan's face turned a deep shade of scarlet.

"…It would be shameful," Bernard spoke up at last, "to completely ignore Shishio's plight. He's a fellow member of the team, and he has contributed to our first victory. I move that we, at least, send a detachment to check on him. If he truly refuses to fight, that is his right as a duelist, but we must give him every opportunity to return to the battlefield."

Wheels shook her head. "...Do whatever you want. Just keep in mind that this _is_ Shishio. Damn cub's stubborn enough that if he doesn't want to come back, there's nothing you can do to stop him."

Achan paused for a moment and then stood up. "…Duly noted," he said as he walked towards the door. "But I still have to try."

Just as he stood, a cell phone rang. Cole immediately answered. "Yes, this is Cole Matthews for Babylon International… yes… yes I am… no, we were not aware… understood. I'll let them know immediately. Thank you." He closed the cell phone and turned to the group. "Smith, you have three hours to retrieve Shishio. I've just got word."

"…Word of what?" Achan asked with a note of apprehension apparent in his voice.

"Our next match. It's been rescheduled, moved up a few days. If we aren't there by the cut-off time, we'll forfeit, so if we want to prepare we have three hours to fetch Shishio." Cole stood up and nodded. "I'll go ahead. I'll try to buy some time, and if only one member is missing we might be able to petition for a grace period."

"…Dammit, Shishio," Wheels muttered under her breath before turning to Cole. "I'll come with you. You're going to need the team leader there, at least. Bernard, you're with me. Smith, since it was your idea, you can go convince Shishio on your own. Good luck kid, because you're sure as hell going to need it."

Achan bit back the urge to gulp. "…Okay, I guess…"

"Smith." Achan turned to Rachel, who nodded to him. "I'll come with you to his house. If the door is locked, you're going to need help getting in."

"…Kaito gave you a key?" Achan asked, confused.

"I never said that. Are we going to leave or not?" Rachel demanded before walking towards the door.

Achan gulped. "Y-Yeah!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTT

_(dark)_

Kaito opened his eyes, blinking in the murky blackness of his room. Someone or something was outside his door. He shut his eyes again. He wasn't going to go out there yet. If it was Cole, well, he could just wait.

"…But how the heck did you just…?"

"Trade secret, Smith."

"But you broke the lock with a…"

"TRADE SECRET, I said. Now go in there and talk to him already."

Those voices… Rachel and Achan? Kaito opened his eyes again. What was Achan doing here?

"I'm going in… um… Rachel? Thanks for helping me with…"

"SMITH. I'm going on ahead to the match. Get in there and fetch your boyfriend already."

"For the last time, I do NOT have a crush on Kaito."

"GO, Smith."

Kaito blinked in surprise, shielding his eyes as the door to his room swung open. Somebody had turned on the lights in the hall outside, and to his eyes, now used to relative darkness, a glimpse at the light felt like staring at the sun unprotected. Achan stood framed in the doorway, his unusual hair bobbing in step as he took a few tentative steps into Kaito's room. "…Um… Kaito? It's me."

Kaito said nothing.

"Listen… um… Kaito, I know you lost yesterday and I know you hate yourself right now, but we kind need your help…" Achan began before stopping. "Er, well, you might not hate yourself I dunno, you could just be depressed and I know that guy kicked you around really hard but the match that was supposed to be later is today now and everyone else is gone and we need you to…"

Kaito stared passively at Achan as the stammering teenager finally dropped his head in embarrassment. "…You don't need me," he said after a moment. "You just think you do."

Achan opened his mouth to reply and then thought better of it. Slowly, he smiled, an idea occurring to him. "…Yeah… yeah, maybe you're right. After all, it's not like you were anything that special anyway. I mean, beating me before, that was a total fluke. Look at you, I bet you couldn't even duel a five year old into submission right now." He turned around, as if preparing to leave. "Well, guess I came here for nothing. Thanks anyway, Kaito, see you around." He took a few steps forward.

"Wait."

Achan paused, resisting the urge to grin, and turned around. "Yes, what is –AUGH!" he jumped back in alarm. Somehow, in that short moment of time, Kaito had pulled himself out of his bed and crossed the distance between them, his face mere centimeters away from Achan's. The teenager stumbled over in alarm, flailing for balance as he went. "Wha-wha-wha?"

Kaito smirked in satisfaction in spite of himself, but it vanished quickly. "…Don't insult me." He didn't continue.

Achan stared at him. "…Well… well…" he fumbled for words for a moment before continuing, "Well why shouldn't I! I mean, you're doing all of this because you lost a duel, aren't you! And a duel is just a game, and when you lose a game it's okay because that doesn't mean you'll lose the next one!"

Kaito looked like he was about to say something and paused. A grin slowly spread across his face. "…Who told you that?"

Achan smiled back. "…The Lion of the East. Haven't you heard? He was going to be the strongest duelist in the pro leagues."

"…Pro Leagues nothing," Kaito replied. His eyes were suddenly alight, the fires of ambition Achan knew from before dancing in them. "I'm going to-"

_[Disappear]_

"- be the strongest duelist in the world someday. And to do that… to do that…"

Achan blinked. Somehow, Kaito had vanished from the spot he had been standing in. He pulled himself to his feet and stared into the kitchen. A blur of motion grabbed Kaito's duel disk and shot into the bedroom, quickly grabbing a jacket and some other clothes. Achan's jaw dropped as Kaito slammed the door shut and then opened it again moments later, dressed in a completely new outfit. His usual slacks had been replaced with an older pair, and in place of the red t-shirt he had worn the day they met, the Lion of the East was now clad in a plain white tee beneath a red windbreaker, with a white stripe running up each arm. Kaito grinned. "…Hey, Smith, I'm going to go out and-"

_[Let that guy destroy me again]_

"-find Faust. Tell Bernard to fill in for me at the match, will ya?"

Before Achan could reply, Kaito had raced out the door. The teenager paused before turning to Devi, who had been floating over his shoulder. "…What…. Just happened?"

_I think you woke him up again,_ the duel spirit replied. _Come on. If Kaito's not coming to the match, we need to get down there now._

Achan stared. "…But… I thought… Oh never mind." He raced out the door. "If Kaito's heading back out there, we should too, right?"

_You're not going to be as manly as him no matter how hard you try, you know._

"Shut up, Devi!" Achan shouted as he broke into a sprint, dashing back into the street. "TAXI! YO, TAXI!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

One of the first things that someone entering the legendary "underground" of dueling learned was that the underground was hardly a single, united entity. There were several mixed groups of amateur and professional duelists who dueled in the back rooms of bars, in abandoned warehouses, or in other secret locations, each with their own reasons for keeping out of the private eye. While these groups would occasionally run into each other and either collaborate to create a unique event or squabble over a particular location, more often they simply had nothing to do with each other- they were a herd of cats, united only in their desire to play a card game without observation. Each sect of the underground had its own celebrities and bit players, its kings and pawns.

This was why, as Faust sat on his "throne" in the hidden basement of the one-time derelict bar "Alice's Wonderland", he frowned in disgust as yet another opponent fell to one of his 'court', falling to his knees in disgrace. "_Kick him out,_" he growled to the member of his entourage, pointing to the defeated duelist. "_He's done here. As of right now…_" He stood up from the throne, made from a half-broken armchair, and swept his trench coat dramatically as he pointed towards the ceiling. "_As of right now, the only King of this underworld is me! This underworld… this new land… I, the King of the Underworld who has conquered all rivals will take it for myself!_"

The beaten duelist was roughly shoved from the large, central cage the duel had taken place in- an arena that at one time might have been used to safeguard performers from a rowdy crowd, or to facilitate boxing matches. The man lifted his head and spat at Faust's feet, and causing the self-proclaimed king to step forward in anger, roughly pulling the duelist to his feet. "_You dare?"_

"Speak… a little Japanese…" the man was breathing heavily, and sweat dripped down his face. "But… this underworld… you'll never… conquer… 'cuz no matter how hard you fight, you're afraid of somethin'…"

The man's breath was cut off as Faust cruelly drove his fist into his stomach before tossing him aside like a rag doll. "_Bastard… the King of the Underworld has defeated all his enemies! He has nothing to fear!_"

"…Oh, really?"

Faust stared in disbelief. In the entrance to the basement stood Kaito, grinning like a madman as he nonchalantly stepped into the arena, dusting off his windbreaker. "_Hey, Shiro-kun, you should find a better door guard. The guy you had upstairs was a real pushover." _The pro duelist smirked as he felt the taunts roll from his lips in Japanese as easily as they did in English. "_You're getting kind of complacent, 'King'. If the King loses his focus, that means he can be overthrown. Maybe you should start looking for a replacement?"_

Faust's face flushed red as he prepared to charge Kaito. At the last second, he relaxed, releasing the tense feeling. "Shishio…" he grinned as he switched from Japanese to English, in order to allow the few remaining duelists in the room who didn't speak the language to understand the conversation. "You think I have to put up with your shit? You're no longer the Lion of the East… you're a puppy dog, who was beaten mercilessly by the King as he cowered in a puddle of his own piss. And down here, you're not even that- you're a dead dog, not worth any member of my court acknowledging! You should just disappear!" Faust's 'court'- a group of duelists in their mid-twenties clad in black-and-white street clothes with distinctive, bright-green-dyed hair let out a roar of approval.

To the surprise of most of the arena, Kaito grinned and nodded. "…Yeah… yeah, you're right. I'm not the Lion of the East."

The duelist Faust had brutally beaten earlier stared in horror as Kaito stepped out of the doorway and into the middle of the room, and Faust's cronies circled around, blocking the exit. "…I am…" Kaito continued, "…I am the Kaito Shishio you remember. The Kaito Shishio who was your rival when we were classmates. Remember, Shiro?"

"…Who gave you permission to call me by such a familiar name, cur?" Faust sneered. As he did so, he couldn't help noticing something- the windbreaker Kaito now wore… its coloring was familiar. Slowly, he realized what was about to happen.

Kaito pointed at Faust. "…Fine then… _King," _he spat out the name contemptuously. "Last night, we dueled, and you defeated me… and I have to apologize. Back then, I was afraid, and my fear prevented you from fighting the person you came to fight- the Lion of the East. You had to content yourself with 'Kaito Shishio' from five years ago. But the Kaito Shishio from when we were in school together-"

_[Is me and is afraid]_

"-… he had a strong heart, but as a duelist, he was weak. The Kaito Shishio from when we were in school together couldn't stand a chance against the Kenju Shiro- the King, Faust- from today. So…"

The duelists stood, silently, as Kaito ripped the windbreaker from his back and rent the jacket down the center with one ferocious tear. He tossed the halves to either side of the room and grinned. "So… tonight… I'll give you what you came across the sea for. From this moment forward, Kaito Shishio from five years ago is dead. From this moment forward, Kaito Shishio from ten minutes ago is dead. They're gone in time- who I am right now- the person I will duel you as- is Kaito Shishio from this moment, this second, Kaito Shishio, the Lion of the East!"

Faust stared for a moment and burst into laughter. "…You're serious Shishio? You came all the way down here just to make that corny speech… because you thought I'd give you a rematch? You're so naïve! Why should I bother playing someone I've already beaten?"

"You scared?"

Faust's laughter died as he looked Kaito directly in the eyes. "…Scared of a worthless dead dog? Hardly… but you don't get to duel the King of the Underworld right after setting foot in his domain. You can duel me, but you'll have to face them first." He gestured to the six grinning duelists who made up his court. "Until you've beaten all of them, I refuse to acknowledge you as anything more than an eyesore… and furthermore, because of your insolence, you will have to defeat all of them without your life points recovering between duels. A six-duel gauntlet, with only four thousand life points… go on Shishio. I'm waiting."

Kaito's grin became feral as he walked into the cage at the room's center, followed by the first of Faust's duelists. "…Interesting warm-up", he said as he activated his duel disk, the auto-shuffle feature whirring to life. "Well then… let's hurry up and-"

_[Rush to oblivion]_

"-get started!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Achan burst into the waiting room of the Stadium, panting and out of breath. "W-we… we… we made it," he gasped to Devi as the bat-winged spirit perched atop his head.

_Gee, you think? _Devi replied with his usual note of sarcasm. _Hurry, let's find-_

"Smith, there you are. Where's Shishio?"

Achan nearly leaped a foot into the air, startled by the voice behind him, as Devi finished his sentence. …_The others._

Cole shook his head and sighed, grabbing Achan's shoulders and marching him towards the center of the waiting room. "What happened? How is he? Is he coming to the match or not?"

The manager fired off questions with a speed that made Achan's head whirl, but after a moment he managed to regroup his thoughts and answer coherently."Um… I just went in, and he's better now, but he ran off looking for the guy who beat him and asked me to get Bernard to fill in for him during the match…"

Cole sighed in exasperation, though Achan thought he could detect a note of relief behind that. "Typical of Shishio. It couldn't happen for a worse match either."

Achan felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle in apprehension. "Um… why is that?"

"Our opponents for this duel are Team Morning Star. All three of them are experienced duelists, with careers reaching back even farther than Schuyler's- in fact, all three of them have had professional experience stretching back to the second Kaiser Cup, and they've become popular for literally introducing the pro leagues to the strategies they now run," Cole explained.

Achan paused and scratched the back of his head. "…So you're saying they…?"

"They're a hell of a team to face this early on," Cole shook his head. "They know their decks inside and out like few pros do. The more you play a deck, the more familiar you become with its interactions, and the more you notice synergy in the strangest places. We needed Shishio for this match- as it is, we're riding on Schuyler as the only really experienced duelist we have."

"So that means…" Achan felt a bit of the rush of enthusiasm he'd felt after seeing Kaito rejuvenated fade away.

"It means that you have to pull off another miracle, Smith. I really hope you've still got whatever you had that helped you beat McFadden, because god knows you'll need it." Cole nodded, acknowledging the other members of Team Hotbloods, as he released Achan's shoulder. "Shishio's not going to make it. He ran off to settle his rivalry, sounds like."

Wheels grimaced. "…Damn cub… this is no time for running off on childish vendettas. If I had my way, I'd kick him off the team for this."

"I'd strongly advise against that." Achan was taken aback by the sudden note of venom in Cole's voice. "Bear in mind, Babylon International is Shishio's sponsor- they're providing our paychecks. If you were to remove their prize media darling from the team, I doubt it would end well."

Wheels rewarded Cole's observation with a growl and glared at Achan. "Smith, you're leading us off. Your deck still isn't well-known since you're new and it's a relatively recent archetype. With any luck, that'll give you a bit of an advantage. I'll follow up. Bernard, you take Shishio's place for round three. If he's back by then, he can take care of things instead."

Bernard nodded. "Acceptable arrangements."

Achan forced himself not to gulp in panic. "Y-yes ma'am!"

"Call me Wheels. That whole 'ma'am' thing gets really old after a few minutes." Wheels sighed in disgust. "…You can defend him all you like, Matthews, but Shishio's crossed the line this time."

"Shishio's a child. I've never claimed anything different," Cole replied mildly. "But he's also a client and a friend. I can't say his timing was at all appropriate, but in his defense, this is an old grudge, and one that he would have had to settle sooner or later. Besides, Schuyler… as I understand it, don't you have a personal motive of a similar nature for competing in this event?"

"That's…" Wheels's face became a mask of cold fury. "…You smug little…"

"ATTENTION! WILL THE MEMBERS OF TEAM HOTBLOODS AND TEAM MORNING STAR PLEASE REPORT TO THE DUELING ARENA?"

Wheels sat in silence for a moment as the announcer interrupted her. "…You got lucky," she growled at Cole before whirling around and wheeling toward the arena.

Achan blinked in surprise. "…Personal… motives?"

"It's a sad story. Maybe you should read about it sometime." Achan registered Rachel's presence for the first time as the photographer sipped at a cup of some sort of pale golden beverage. "Matthews, you should be careful from now on. You wouldn't want to antagonize the team leader you hired, would you? It would look bad on your resume."

"I'll keep that in mind," Cole replied drily. "And I want my wallet back, Dare."

"I have no clue what you're talking about," Rachel replied sweetly.

"Don't play innocent. I know you were…"

Achan thought it best to excuse himself to the arena, and left Cole and Rachel behind, still arguing.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU FOR COMING IN SO EARLY! TODAY'S ORIGINAL MATCH-UP BETWEEN TEAM FLOWERING NIGHT AND TEAM LOST PATH HAS BEEN SUSPENDED WHILE AN INQUIRY IS BEING MADE INTO THE RESULTS OF LOST PATH'S PREVIOUS DUEL, AND SO THE BRACKETS HAVE BEEN SHIFTED… PLEASE, GIVE IT UP ONCE AGAIN FOR TEAM HOTBLOODS, AND THEIR OPPONENTS, TEAM MORNING STAR!"

Achan breathed in and walked into the arena alongside Bernard and Wheels as the fans cheered. He glanced up into the stands towards Kaito's fans- most of them easily recognizable given their tendency to wear lion costumes, draw whiskers on their faces, or show up with cat-ear headbands. The majority of them looked confused and was staring down at the Lion of the East's usual place, attempting to spot their hero. Achan winced in sympathy.

"REPRESENTING TEAM HOTBLOODS TODAY WILL BE THE ROOKIE PLAYER ACHAN SMITH, FORMER QUEEN ALLISON SCHUYLER, AND FILLING IN FOR THE LION OF THE EAST… BERNARD HALL!"

A few cheers rippled through the stadium, but it was plainly obvious to Achan that the fans were disappointed by Kaito's absence. He restrained the urge to gulp. "…Devi… you think we should stall for time, for Kaito?" he muttered.

The bat-winged spirit stared at Achan for a moment. _…And how do you think you're going to stall against a group of duelists with more experience than the lady in the wheelchair who ran you over?_

Before Achan could respond, the announcer continued. "AND NOW, THEIR OPPONENTS! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN… TEAM MORNING STAR!"

Achan took a good look at his opponents. The team was made up of two men and a woman, all three older than Wheels. One man was tall, thin, showed evidence of balding, and was dressed immaculately in a grey suit. Beside him stood a woman dressed in a lacy ball gown, carrying a flower basket on one arm. She blew a kiss to the audience as the team's third member- a short, stocky man with dark hair dressed in a faux leather jacket- flashed them the peace sign.

"Time to get out there, kid," Wheels declared as she pointed to the center of the stage. "Good luck."

Achan stepped forward, his cheeks burning slightly, as Wheels and Bernard moved back. Team Morning Star also split up, the balding man and the man in the leather jacket leaving the stage, leaving only the woman in the gown. "BOTH TEAMS OF DUELISTS HAVE CHOSEN THEIR FIRST PLAYER!" the announcer roared over the cheering crowd. "MORNING STAR WILL BE REPRESENTED BY TWO-TIME REGIONAL CHAMPION OF THE SEATTLE AREA, ELLA QUEEN!"

The woman winked at Achan as she activated her duel disk, a pre-programmed specialized animation of cherry blossoms falling around her. "You ready to play?" she asked sweetly. "If you're nervous, nobody could blame you for backing out now… you are a rookie after all."

Instantly, images of Stone leaving the stage and Wheels's reaction to it flashed through Achan's head. The teenager activated his own duel disk, the twin halves of its duel board connecting and moving into place with a satisfying click. "I may be a rookie, but I'm not that ignorant!" he shouted in response. "I know… I know that in the pro leagues, giving up is the worst mistake a duelist can make!"

Ella nodded, apparently approving his analysis. "Well then… shall we let the match begin?"

Achan nodded in agreement as the crowd counted down, and both duelists shouted simultaneously. "DUEL!"

Holographic dice flew through the air, and Achan grimaced as his landed on a three, easily trumped by his opponent's six. Ella grinned and set two cards on the field- a monster and a spell or trap. "I think I'll T-Set… over to you, boy." She tilted her head to the side slightly. "So, how will you respond, I wonder, hmm?"

"My play! Draw!" After glancing at his card, Achan frowned slightly, then placed a monster on the duel disk. "I'll summon Wandering Shinobi, in attack position!" The female ninja's entrance was suitably dramatic- she leaped from the ceiling, where she had apparently been concealed, landing in a crouch and gripping her massive shuriken. (1500/1200)

"Hmmm…" Ella glanced at the new monster. "I heard there was a new archetype released just before the tournament. You must be a very lucky boy to get your hands on it so quickly."

"I have friends in the right places," Achan countered as he slipped a spell card from his hand into the graveyard. "I activate Wandering Shinobi's monster effect- _Material Capture!_ By sending a spell card from my hand to the graveyard, I can select any non-tuner Wandering monster in my deck and add it to my hand, though I can't activate Limit Break spells on the turn I use it. I'll select Wandering Mage!" Achan flipped the card around as his deck spit it out, allowing his opponent to verify its identity before adding it to his hand. "And now, Wandering Shinobi attacks your set monster! Go, _Deathblow!_"

The ninja leaped high into the air for a moment before launching her shuriken. The massive metal throwing star pierced through the back of Ella's card, causing the gown-wearing duelist to chuckle slightly as the destroyed monster revealed itself- a brown-furred flying squirrel with beady, glistening eyes. "That card was my Nimble Momonga," she explained. "Through its monster effect, I gain one thousand life points when it is destroyed and special summon two copies of it from my deck in face-down defense position." As she spoke, two more of the squirrels leaped from behind her, instantly transforming into horizontal card backs after landing in a defensive crouch. (4000+1000= 5000 LP) (1000/100 x2)

"AND ELLA QUEEN HAS ALREADY SET UP A STRONG DEFENSIVE WALL FOR SMITH! WILL THE ROOKIE WHO MADE IT THROUGH YESTERDAY'S MATCH PERFORM A SIMILAR MIRACLE?" The announcer roared.

Achan grimaced and shrugged. "Um… er… I… I end my turn, I guess."

"And I'll take mine now," Ella drew, her mannerisms becoming increasingly more condescending. "Well, you feel no need to defend yourself, boy? I don't mind… I don't intend to launch my assault yet anyway. I'll set one more monster and end my turn." A third face-down card appeared on the woman's field as she nodded, passing play.

Achan eyed the new set monster suspiciously as he drew and selected his own card. "I summon Wandering Beast, in attack position!" With a roar, the red-furred creature Achan had played during his duel with McFadden leapt to his side and flexed its powerful claws, preparing to attack. (1800/900)

_Careful. If that set's Mirror Force, it'll hurt,_ Devi whispered.

"I'm trying not to think about that," Achan muttered under his breath as he pointed to the set cards. "Wandering Shinobi! Wandering Beast! Attack both Nimble Momonga!" At his command both monsters charged, not quite simultaneously but certainly in synch. The Shinobi's shuriken hurtled through the air, neatly slicing one squirrel down the center, and the drill like blue wind tunnel that formed around Beast as it charged pierced the second.

Ella snapped her fingers, her eyes glinting with satisfaction, like a hunter whose prey had just fallen into a trap. "In response to your attack on my second Momonga, I chain The Transmigration Prophecy. This trap allows me to return any two cards to their owner's decks from the graveyard, and the two I choose are two Nimble Momonga."

"…Wait, that means…" Achan stared in surprise. Just as his monster's attack obliterated the final squirrel, two more leaped from behind his opponent.

The woman laughed somewhat haughtily. "That's right… since the two Momonga were returned to my deck before your attack, I can simply summon them again. Thank you for the free life points, boy." (5000+1000+1000= 7000 LP)

Achan felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle. "…I guess I don't need to worry about stalling for time…" he muttered nervously.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

It was impossible.

Faust felt his temper rise as a single strike from the massive, flaming lion behind Kaito struck the final member of his court, causing the shocked duelist to stumble back against the wall of the cage. "_N… no way…_" the defeated player gasped.

"Ne, what can I say?" Kaito licked his lips as the holograms from the duel deactivated. "You were-"

_[Going to win before that last draw]_

"-trying to catch a lion with sticks and a butterfly net. That's a useless tactic." Despite his bravado, Kaito's cheeks were flushed and sweat ran down his forehead, as if the duels had been physically taxing. (200 LP)

"…_Shishio…_" Faust clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palms hard enough to draw blood.

"Yo, Shiro," Kaito looked Faust straight in the eye. "I beat everyone you needed me to play already. How long are you going to sit on your ass before you-"

_[Finish me off]_

"- answer my challenge?"

Something inside Faust snapped. With a singular purpose, he stood to his feet and leveled a single finger at Kaito. "…Shishio… that does it. From this moment forward, as King of the Underworld, I acknowledge you as a challenger… but only for one purpose. This time, when I beat you, I'll make sure you understand your place in this kingdom!"

"It won't happen this time, Shiro. You wanna know why?" Kaito's grin was exceptionally toothy. "It's 'cuz last time we dueled, I was trapped in a nightmare of the past. This time, I don't have any reason to be afraid of you at all. In fact…"

With a mix of fascination and apprehension, the occupants of Alice's Wonderland watched as Kaito stripped off his shirt, tossing it to the side. The duelist grinned. "Come on, Shiro, we'll do this the way you used to back in the Academia's kickboxing club. Man to man, bare knuckles, no shirt."

"…You're serious, Shishio." Faust stared at his bare-chested rival.

"What's the matter? Scared?"

"…Shishio…." Faust's eyes blazed with hatred. The king of the underworld reached up, removing and tossing away first his trench coat and then his shirt. "Your request is granted… but understand, we're in the underworld now, Shishio. You play by my rules."

"Meaning?" Kaito didn't flinch as Faust leapt into the cage and one of his cronies tossed him a black briefcase.

"Meaning this." Faust opened the briefcase and removed a black collar, along with two smaller wristbands. He tossed the three heavy objects to Kaito, before removing a second set for himself. "Damage flux devices, Shishio… if you want to duel me, you'll have to feel the pain of every attack I land on you. Each attack will remind you why a lost puppy has no place in the underworld. Do you still want my challenge?" Faust grinned, his face taking on an expression that testified to an apparent loss of sanity.

Kaito casually attached all three flux devices.

Kaito activated his duel disk casually. "…Conditions accepted, Shiro."

"Stop using that name, Shishio!" Faust spat.

The two stood in tense silence for a moment, and then shouted in unison. "DUEL!"


	10. Chapter 10

_(A/N: Apologies for taking THIS LONG for the new chapter. The fact that this is the single longest BR chapter and should hopefully make up for it a little. Faust/Kaito was easy enough to write, but dear god I had way too much trouble with one Achan scene in particular, and so I hope you all enjoy it. As usual, reading and reviewing is appreciated. I cannot thank Comedy of Circumstances/Aea enough for his help this chapter and the contribution of Tacey Edgeworth from the days when we were both wild, young, and playing a very silly RP out on a forum far, far away. My condolences to anyone who died from the suspense.)_

**Yu-Gi-Oh!: Burning Red**

_Chapter Ten: Lion in Hell? "I'll Show you my New Self!"_

_(blood)_

Kaito could feel it pulsing through his body, filling him with strength. Every moment he breathed in, a charge of energy washed through him, stirring his-

_[fear]_

-excitement. He had forgotten how much he had enjoyed this sensation until he had been deprived of it, if even for a short time. His blood was not simply a fluid that ran through his body, it was full of life, and it burned like fire. Even in the middle of the cage, his shirt lying on the floor beside him and a shock collar clamped to his neck, he knew that this moment, this second, he was experiencing the feeling he lived for. And no matter who his opponent was, as long as he felt the way he did now, there was no way he could ever-

_[See my own failures]_

Lose.

The Lion of the East gripped the top card of his deck. "So, Shiro, challenger takes first move, right! My turn, draw!"

They were there- his cards. Six cards to begin this duel with. For a moment something in him faltered, remembering the deck his opponent had used last match. He suppressed it. He was-

_[Too scared to remind myself]_

-having too much fun recapturing the feeling of enjoying the rush of a duel. "I'll lead off with my first summon- come out, Vorse Raider!" With a feral howl, Kaito's demonic beast-warrior rose up beside the duelist, running his tongue across the surface of his cruel blade. "I'll set two cards… now, make your play Shiro!" (1900/1200)

"I told you, stop calling me that!" Faust snapped, drawing. Kaito grinned. He was-

_[Going to die now]_

-getting to his opponent. The rudeness was having a visible effect on the self-proclaimed king of the underworld, who gritted his teeth and gripped his card with enough force that the reinforced material it was made from began to bend. "I activate the effect of my Skull Conductor, sending it from my hand to the graveyard!"

Kaito stared, mildly surprised. "Hey, Shiro. Your hand's the same as last time, isn't it?"

Faust's hand paused as he prepared to insert the card into the graveyard. "That's-"

Kaito slowly grinned. "Haha… I don't believe in crap like fate or destiny, but there's something definitely strange about that, don't you think? Maybe your deck is trying to tell you something! Trying to tell you that you haven't moved on since last night!"

"And- and so what if it is?" Faust growled as Skull Conductor vanished into his graveyard slot. "Doesn't that mean things will turn out the same as they did last time? I activate Skull Conductor's monster effect, special summoning two copies of Burning Skull Head from my hand!" With a demonic cackle a pair of human skulls, blazing merrily, exploded into existence and charged towards Kaito. The Lion of the East brought up his arms as a shield as Faust shouted over the chatter of the skulls. "Now you'll experience the pain of hellfire! Burning Skull Head's monster effect inflicts one thousand points of damage to you when it's special summoned from my hand!" (1000/800) x2

The solid vision barely fazed Kaito. The same could not be said for the electric charge that struck his body as the device he had placed around his neck jolted to life. The shock was incredible. Kaito nearly blacked out from the pain and heard an animal screaming. Moments later he realized it was his own voice. (4000-2000=2000)

Faust seemed heartened as he grinned cruelly. "Heh, same as ever, Shishio. You can talk like a big lion, but you're actually a scared little pussy-cat, aren't you? I activate my spell card, Everliving Underworld Cannon!"

Kaito struggled to his feet, breathing heavily, as the massive cannon rose behind Faust, leveling its barrel directly at him as the skulls that made up its base seemed to grin in anticipation. He knew-

_[I'm going to die]_

-He could survive this next turn, but it would hurt. He gritted his teeth as Faust made his inevitable follow-up play. "I summon Plaguespreader Zombie!" The bloated, ape-like corpse shambled onto the field as Faust glowered. "Shishio, say farewell! I tune my three monsters together! _A lone figure wanders this world… his dark justice is feared by all! Synchro summon! Take Aim…"_

Faust pointed directly at Kaito as the usual display of overpowering light erupted behind him, engulfing the arena. "_Lone Skull Rider!_" (2000/1200)

The column of light burst, and the strange, armored man stepped from within it. The skull like mask glinted in the dim light of the arena as the monster's long, white scarf fluttered in a wind that neither duelist could feel. Faust seemed to tower above Kaito as he continued. "Now Shishio… you'll experience hellfire followed by death! The effect of Everliving Underworld Cannon deals eight hundred points of direct damage to your life points!"

The cannon charged, and Kaito managed to pull himself together in time to face the burst of energy. This time, prepared for the pain, he managed to hold back a scream when the blast struck. Instead, what emerged was something like a yelp of pain. (2000- 800= 1200)

Faust laughed maniacally. "It ended so quickly, Shishio! Look at your field! The moment I activate Lone Skull Rider's effect, I can fire its shots until your monster is too weak to defend your pitiful remaining life points! Lone Skull Rider's monster effect activates! Every level three or lower zombie-type monster used as its synchro material will return from the graveyard as an equip spell, equipped to it!" The ground beneath Faust broke open as three howling spirits rose out, swirling around Lone Skull Rider as the monster raised its gun in satisfaction, preparing to load them into its firing chamber.

_[It's hopeless. This is the end for me. I should just-]_

_(This isn't the end. It isn't hopeless. I'm not giving up here!)_

Faust shouted in surprise as one of Kaito's cards flipped face-up, releasing a torrent of pure, clear water that smashed into Lone Skull Rider. The mysterious warrior stumbled backward as the spirits that had been about to load themselves into its gun disappeared, wisping away into nothingness. "Shishio!" Faust growled in shock. "What the hell did you just do to my monster?"

Kaito began to laugh. It was a full, rich laugh that caused Faust to stare at his opponent for a moment, not sure if he had just gone insane. "Easy enough, Shiro. I just forced your monster to rely on its own strength for once, instead of the souls it carries around. The effect of my Prohibited Chalice will negate any monster's effect in exchange for increasing its attack points by four hundred until the end phase… and since I chained it to your monster's summon, you won't be able to equip any cards from your graveyard!"

"That's…" Faust stared at his monster. It was true- the warrior's strength had increased slightly. "Fine, Shishio. We'll play it your way- I'll just take one turn longer to kill you! Lone Skull Rider, attack his Vorse Raider! _Finger On the Trigger!_" (2400/1200)

Lone Skull Rider's scarf whipped in the phantom wind as it pointed its weapon, bereft of any supernatural ammunition, directly at Kaito's leering beast-warrior. Without a hint of hesitation it fired, a spread of bullets slamming directly into the monster's skin. Kaito flinched as final charge of electricity struck his body. (1200-500= 700)

Faust leered. "Go on Shishio… admit defeat. During my next turn I'll simply use Plaguespreader Zombie's monster effect to special summon it, and then you'll lose your last few life points from the effect of Everliving Underworld Cannon. If you give up now, I'll let you get off with licking my boots and calling me 'king' instead of just crushing you under my heel."

_[This situation is impossible to-]_

_(This is perfect! I have everything I need to counter him! )_

Kaito grinned and snapped his fingers. "Trap card, activate! Shock Draw!" Thunder crackled around him as he drew three cards and checked their identity. "For every thousand points of damage I just took, I can draw a card!"

_[Those cards won't do any good against-]_

_(These cards are the path to victory!)_

Kaito pointed at Faust, breathing heavily as sweat rolled from his forehead. "Hey Shiro, nice lead. I'm having fun already. Now it's my turn!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

_Alright Achan,_ the red-haired duelist told himself calmly as his opponent sneered at him, _The worst she's done so far is set monsters. Alright admittedly she's come pretty close to doubling her initial life point count. And I have no idea what deck she's running still. And she has more defenses than I can break through. But still, I can take this. _

He glanced at his two monsters. _Wandering Shinobi and Wandering Beast can replace themselves if they're destroyed, and Wandering Shinobi will let me trade spare spells for useful card as long as it's on the field. It doesn't matter if she keeps defending- Wandering Hero can just find a piercing equip and attack._

"I can tell what you're thinking, boy," Ella's voice cut across the field as she drew. "You're thinking that even with my life points as high as they are, it won't matter once you encounter a card that can damage me- correct?"

Achan tried very hard not to let his astonishment show on his face. He failed spectacularly.

"You're still such a child," Ella sighed as a green-framed card appeared behind her. "I activate the continuous spell, Toll. So long as this card is face-up on the field, you will have to pay five hundred life points to attack."

"Oh… oh _shit_," Achan muttered under his breath. "That's going to make things really-"

"Difficult? How observant of you, boy." Ella curtsied slightly, setting a card as she did so. "I'll set one last monster and one card on the field, and end my turn."

Achan's cheeks burned slightly as he drew quickly, glancing at the card. "Alright! I'll summon Wandering Hero in attack position!" The blonde-haired warrior leaped onto the field, roaring a victory cry. "When Wandering Hero is summoned, I send a monster card from my hand to the graveyard, and then I get the ability to select an equip spell from my deck and give it to him!" Achan slipped his Wandering Mage into the graveyard slot as his deck whirred and spat out his requested card. "I'll use Big Bang Shot, increasing my monster's attack points by 400 and giving him the ability to pierce through defensive monsters!" (2100/1200)

"Oh? It seems you're finally coming close to damaging me." Ella laughed and held up her cards to mask her face. "But will you be able to win with so little effort?"

"I activate the effect of the Wandering Mage in my graveyard, removing it from play to get the spell card Limit Break-Bestialize added from my deck to my hand!" Achan countered as he returned the monster to his deck box and drew the spell. "A-And then-" He paused, unsure of himself for a moment. _Her set card- is it a Mirror Force? If that's the case, I shouldn't discard this for Wandering Shinobi's effect. I need it to activate Wandering Beast's… um… right! That's what I'll do then!_

"I'll use Wandering Hero to attack your set Nimble Momonga!" Achan shouted as the Hero held up his new blade, a massive two-handed sword hewn from what appeared to be material from a fallen meteor. "_Braver!_" (LP: 4000- 500= 3500)

"So predictable," Ella yawned as the hero's blade descended towards her set monster. A green shield surrounded the card, blocking the assault. "The effect of my Draining Shield will negate your attack and give me life points equal to the attack points of your monster. Too bad, boy." (LP: 7000+ 2100= 9100)

"INCREDIBLE! DESPITE SMITH'S UNRELENTING ASSAULT, HIS OPPONENT HASN'T GIVEN AN INCH! CAN HE HOPE TO PIERCE THROUGH THIS PERFECT DEFENSE?"

Achan winced and pointed to Wandering Shinobi. "If one attack won't work, I'll just keep going! Wandering Shinobi, attack- um, attack that set monster in the center, the one that isn't a Momonga!" (LP: 3500- 500= 3000)

"Bad choice," Ella remarked as the Shinobi's deathblow struck and a large, screaming hamster of some sort appeared. "I activate the effect of my Bubonic Vermin. When flipped, this card will special summon a second Bubonic Vermin from my deck in face-down defense position." A new set monster appeared, taking the place of the shattered one.

"I'm- I'm not through! Wandering Beast, attack the monster she set last turn! _Sled Fang!_" At Achan's command the bright red creature roared, launching itself towards the final set monster on the field as a rush of wind built around it. "And furthermore, when attacking, my monster increases its attack points by four hundred for each Wandering monster on my field!" (3000/1200) (LP: 3000- 500= 2500)

"Too bad," Ella remarked disinterestedly as the roaring beast struck her set card. "That monster is Desertapir!" As the sled fang pierced through the snoring, rotund beast, a dark fog floated up from it and grabbed onto Wandering Hero before forcing it to its knees. "When this monster is flipped, I select one monster on the field and set it. My choice is your Hero!"

"B-But that means my equip spell is-!" Achan winced as Big Bang Shot shattered as Hero's body was replaced by a horizontal card back. "U-um…"

Ella waited patiently for a moment and then drew. "I take it you end your turn, boy?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Then mine begins again. I activate the spell card, Level Tax!" Ella waved her hand imperiously as a pair of massive brass scales rose behind her. "While I control this card, both of us will have to pay life points equal to the attack points of a level five or higher monster we summon."

"B-But that means-" Achan choked slightly as he looked at the life point reading on his duel disk.

"You've realized it, haven't you? This is the true shape of my deck. You're smart enough to understand what it is, aren't you, boy?" Ella sneered. "Our dear announcer forgot to introduce me by my proper title- where I come from, I'm known as the Merchant of Death. It's not that I sell defeat though," She batted her eyelashes as she spoke, "It's simply that my opponents keep paying away their life points and getting nothing in return. Now aren't you going to make a move, boy? The clock is ticking, and you've already lost the ability to summon level five monsters with more than two thousand attack points. Your play."

Achan gulped.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"My turn, draw!" Kaito shouted as he revealed the top card of his deck. "I summon my monster, Storm Hound, in attack position!" With a howl, the monster appeared in front of Kaito, tensed and ready to pounce as stray charges leaped from its fur. (1500/1200)

"Go on, Shishio. You're only delaying the inevitable." Faust grimaced.

"My inevitable victory, you mean?" Kaito pointed at his monster. "If you're sure you want to lose that bad! I activate the effect of Storm Hound! By sending two normal monsters from my deck to the graveyard, its attack points increase by three hundred for each monster I sent there until my end phase!" Kaito revealed two cards from his deck- Master of the Underdog and King of the Veldt. "Go, Storm Hound! _Gathering Storm!_" The dog howled again and threw back its head as lightning struck around it. (2100/1200)

"Don't joke around, Shishio! You know my Cannon will reduce your life points to zero next turn, so why are you acting like you've already won?" Faust's eyes blazed with anger. "Can't you understand that you're not worth anything anymore? You've been defeated once, and you'll be defeated again!"

"Aaaw, scared?" Kaito leered at his opponent. "I told you, Shiro, it's my turn, and I'll do what I want with it! Storm Hound, attack his Lone Skull Rider! _Storm Fang!_"

Faust grunted in pain as Kaito's monster leaped on his warrior in a frenzy, tearing it limb from limb. The damage was barely enough to shock him, but it was there. (LP: 4000-100= 3900)

"I'll set two cards, and end my turn." Kaito smiled at his opponent. "Exciting, huh?"

"Shishio!" Faust spat out the word, barely able to contain himself. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Kaito rolled his eyes. "Shiro, do I have to spell it out for you?" The Lion of the East sighed. "I suppose there's no helping it. Think about how you're feeling right now. How long has it been since you've had a charge like this? You can't help it, Shiro, we're too much alike." He grinned. "Just go ahead and admit it- you're having as much fun right now as I am. Why don't you just relax and enjoy it a little?" He selected two cards from his hand and placed them on his duel disk, where they appeared behind his crouching monster. "I'll set these two cards, and end my turn. Now come on, Shiro! Stop acting like this is all about crushing me and getting revenge or whatever, and enjoy yourself! Otherwise what the hell is the point?"

Faust stared at Kaito for all of five minutes, neither duelist saying anything. Then, "Heh."

"Haha."

"Hahaha."

The spectators of the duel gave each other strange looks as both men dissolved into laughter, if not quite simultaneously, then definitely in synch with each other. It took a good minute or two of solid laughing before Faust finally pulled himself together to respond. "Shi- haha, Shishio- hahahahahaha! You're so full of shit!" He shook his head. "You came down here and gave this big speech about 'not being the same person' as you were before? Bullshit, you haven't changed a bit!"

"I was talking about dueling, Shiro," Kaito grinned. "And anyway, weren't you just talking a few minutes ago about finishing me with your cannon? Go on and do it already!"

Faust's eyes narrowed. "Almost had me there, Shishio." He drew, and then after a quick glance at his card placed it in the central monster zone of his duel disk. "I summon Pyramid Turtle, in attack position!" With a roar, a massive tortoise rose up on Faust's field supporting a golden pyramid on its back rather than a shell. (1200/1400)

The self-proclaimed King of the Underworld swept out a hand and pointed at Kaito's Storm Hound. "Pyramid Turtle, attack his monster! _Giza Press!_" At Faust's command the monster leaped into the air, drawing itself within the pyramid as it did. The structure fell towards Kaito's monster at an alarming rate.

"Is that it? No problem then! Storm Hound, counter-attack! _Storm Fang!_" Kaito roared in response. Despite having lost the power it had gained from its own effect, the hound leaped into the air, piercing through the Pyramid Turtle like a knife through hot butter. (1500/1200)

Faust grinned slightly, even has his life points decreased and a charge of electricity from his still-active damage flux devices struck him. "I activate the effect of Pyramid Turtle! When this monster is destroyed by battle, I can special summon a zombie-type monster from my deck with less than two thousand defense points!" (LP: 3900- 300= 3600)

On the ground, the fragments of the pyramid that had once been the turtle's shell changed to mist and floated into the air, creating a thick fog behind Faust. A massive, clawed hand reached from within it, followed by the upper body of a strange creature. The monster roared as it lumbered forward, its body rattling as it moved. The ogre was at least two times the size of Kaito's hound, and appeared to have been stitched together from the bones of various dead creatures. "I special summon Ryu Kokki, in attack position!" (2400/1000)

Kaito laughed. "That's the combo you used against me in our first duel. You remember it?"

"I remember every one of our duels, Shishio. You're the one who slacked off, not me!" Faust stretched out his hand imperiously. "Since Ryu Kokki was special summoned, I can activate the effect of Everliving Underworld Cannon to deal you eight hundred points of direct damage! Fire!" Behind him, the cannon charged with energy and released its skull-shaped bullet.

"I chain my trap card!" Kaito shouted in response as he slipped one card from his hand into his graveyard slot. "By the effect of Rainbow Life, this turn damage to my life points will be transformed into life point gain instead!" The bullet struck, causing Kaito to bring up his arm and shield himself. Even as he did, his life points recovered. (LP: 700+ 800= 1500)

"As I predicted," Faust leered. "You had this in mind from the beginning, didn't you Shishio? You were planning to let me use Plaguespreader Zombie's effect, effectively sealing my draw phase next turn. Then you would have had material for a counter attack!" The zombie duelist laughed maniacally. "You've shielded your life points, but I won't allow you to take control of the field so easily! Ryu Kokki, attack Shishio's Storm Hound! _Dragon Bone Crusher!_" The massive arm of the skeletal demon swung down, easily crushing Kaito's monster beneath it.

"Rainbow Life's effect causes me to gain nine hundred life points instead of taking battle damage!" Kaito countered as a few stray shards of bone knocked free from Ryu Kokki's arm by the impact of the attack ricocheted harmlessly away from a rainbow aura coating him. (LP: 1500 + 900= 2400)

"Life points don't matter, Shishio. Not until you've lost your last one." Faust grinned. "I'll take back every single point you just gained during my next turn! I set my last card, and end!"

Kaito drew, grinning.

The audience stared. Something had changed. The intensity of the duel hadn't decreased at all- both players were still locking eyes, daring each other to strike a finishing move if they could. Instead, something else was growing alongside it. Both players seemed to be in tune with some sort of strange harmony, communicating with each other in a language that went beyond words.

Kaito tapped a button on his duel disk. "I activate my trap card, Birthright! By its effect, I special summon any normal monster in my graveyard. Come out, Master of the Underdog!" The flames leapt up, releasing Kaito's warrior tuner. The monster snapped its fingers, lighting a cigarette and casually holding it to its lips. (1400/1000)

"Feh- again with your 'new duelist' crap. Same old tricks, same old opponent." Faust smirked. "You can talk all you want about being reborn or whatever, Shishio, but you're still the same duelist you always were!"

"You're wrong," Kaito countered as he placed a second monster on his duel disk. "I told you, Shiro, don't just assume you're playing the same person as the other night! My strategy may not have changed but all the same, I've evolved! I summon Gladiator Beast Andal, in attack position!" With a roar the armored bear appeared beside the Master of the Underdog, flanking him. "And I'll tune these two together now!"

The Master stomped on his cigarette, releasing a maelstrom of flame that swept him up, transforming into four brilliant green rings of light. Within the center, Andal's outline melted away to become four stars. Kaito chanted. "_If you can't win once, win the second time! If there's no way through, make your own path! Synchro summon! Raise your blade and fight on, King of the Underdog!" _The synchro gates exploded, and the warrior king stepped out, hefting his broadsword over one shoulder as he grinned cheekily at Faust's ogre. (2800/1400)

"Just changing a speech doesn't change YOU, Shishio!" Faust roared.

"I activate the effect of King of the Underdog!" Kaito continued, ignoring his opponent's challenge. "By sending one card from my hand to the graveyard, I can now special summon a normal monster from the graveyard!" He slipped one of the two remaining cards in his hand into the graveyard slot. "And there's only one monster I'd want to summon with this effect- I special summon King of the Veldt!" The King waved his blade, and a blast of flame erupted in front of Kaito, revealing the lion with the burning mane. Kaito smirked as his monsters roared at Faust. "Ryu Kokki is a tough monster, Shiro- but power won't get you anywhere against me! I am the Lion of the East, and power is my strongest point!" (3000/1800)

Faust sneered. "And at the same time, it's your only point!" He spread his arms, waiting. "Come on, Shishio. Hit me with your best shot."

"With pleasure!" Kaito pointed at the towering bone giant on Faust's field. "King of the Veldt, attack Ryu Kokki! _Wrath of the Beast King!_" At his command the lion leapt into the air, pouncing on the hapless ogre. Bones crunched into powder underneath the beast's weight, and a sea of flames consumed what remained of the monster. Faust flinched, unable to disguise the pain he felt as a jolt of electricity struck him. (LP: 3600- 600= 3000)

Kaito nodded to his remaining monster. "King of the Underdog, attack his life points directly! _Wild King's Judgment!_" The king hefted his broadsword and grinned as he casually tossed the heavy weapon from one hand to another and back again. Then he struck, his blade slashing across Faust's body in a magnificent arc. Faust roared in pain like a wounded animal as his damage flux devices delivered a massive charge of electricity to him, causing the zombie duelist to stumble backward. (LP: 3000- 2800= 200)

"I end my turn," Kaito smirked as his opponent got up. "Do you believe me now, Shiro?"

"Feh… as… if…" Faust grunted, wheezing in between words. As he rose, his trap card flipped open. "New title… Shishio… but… same… tricks."

Kaito glanced at the trap's identity. "Shock Draw?"

Faust nodded as his heavy breathing finally subsided. "You learned from me while we were students, and I learned from you. That's how it works with rivals, right?" He drew three cards, leering at Kaito all the while. "I admit Shishio- after that little display, I've made my decision." He drew himself up to his full height. "Listen up, you idiots! From now on, I acknowledge Shishio as my rival again! If any of you have a problem with that, you can take it up with me! Got it?" He returned his attention to Kaito. "And with that out of the way- Shishio, get ready to go down on your knees and acknowledge me as King again!"

Kaito rolled his eyes. "Save it for when you actually win!"

"My pleasure." Faust's demon grin fell into place as he drew for his turn. "Since you ask so nicely Shishio, I'll make sure that my finishing move for this duel is something unforgettable!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Achan drew, hesitantly. "Dammit…" he muttered as he surveyed the field.

_Snipe Hunter. Chiron. I need one of them, I can't just… DAMN it! _He looked at the useless Wandering Synchron in his hand. None of his synchros would do him any good with Level Tax in play, and attacking with an extra monster would cost life points. He gulped slightly. "Um- I activate the spell card, Heaven's Lost Property!"

A shower of angel feathers fell around Achan as he drew the top three cards of his deck. "Heaven's Lost Property lets both players draw three cards, and then discard two." He prayed silently as he looked at the cards he had drawn- and cursed. "U-um… I'll discard these two." He stared forlornly at the three cards in his hand. Synchro summoning wouldn't do him much good, but in the hopes that he might be able to later, he held onto Wandering Synchron as he slipped two more cards into his graveyard. His graveyard slot spat out the second card he had discarded with a whir, and he pocketed it. "I'll remove Wandering Cleric in my graveyard from play to add Limit Break-Seal Evil to my hand, and I'll-"

He had been about to declare an attack, but the words caught in his throat. Attacking now was what his opponent wanted. She'd just end up with more life points than he could possibly deal with, and he'd lose when time ran out. "I-I end my turn."

"Oh? Passing play so as to avoid losing life points to Toll?" Ella drew slowly, savoring every second. She gave the card a quick glance and played it. "I activate the effect of The Shallow Grave." The ground directly in front of her opened, and the back of a set monster appeared. "By this card's effect, I special summon one monster in face-down defense position. Of course, you're allowed the same courtesy." (?/?)

Achan winced in pain. "But my only monster is-"

He glanced at the card, which depicted a somewhat-silly looking anthropomorphic mouse-like creature with a tuft of fur on its head, and set it on the field.

"I activate my second card this turn." Ella smirked. Achan gasped in horror as a massive, emerald and gold ornamental cannon pushed itself from the ground behind Queen and leveled its barrel at him. Queen waved at the card dismissively. "Wave-Motion Cannon will charge itself during each of my standby phases. At any point, I may send it to the graveyard to deal you one thousand points of damage for each of my standby phases that it has remained on the field. You have three turns."

"…Shit" Achan whispered to himself.

"And now, I'll add the final piece of my combo," Queen announced as a fourth continuous spell appeared on the field, next to Toll and Level Tax. "Chain Energy will force us both to pay five hundred life points for every card either of us summons, sets, or activates from our hand. In short, boy, you now have a grand total of four attacks, summons, sets or activations you can make before my combo locks you out of doing anything at all."

_Dammit. Dammit. DAMMIT!_

Achan's hand fell to his side, and his cheeks burned with embarrassment as he lowered his head. _It's no good. I can't touch a defense like that. Nothing can. I should just…_

The unpleasant tingling feeling of embarrassment was suddenly replaced by shock as Achan felt something tug at the edge of his consciousness. _It appears that_ someone _here needs an intervention from the voices in his head._

Achan blinked in surprise. That wasn't the Queen's voice-

_How astute of you! Perhaps we should have a little chat, and I'll fill in some gaps in your understanding._

There was a flash of light, and Achan's vision of the arena winked out.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"My turn," Faust declared as he gripped the top card of his deck. "Draw!"

A thick grey mist began to rise beneath the green-haired duelist's feet, slowly filling the entire arena. Faust threw back his head and laughed maniacally. "Alright, Shishio! I've got to hand it to you, you made that duel interesting. But you forgot one thing- it doesn't matter whether I'm enjoying myself or not. In this underground hell, I'm still king!" He revealed a spell card in his hand. "I'll start by activating the effect of Book of Life! This spell card will allow me to special summon a zombie type monster from my graveyard, and afterwards I'll remove one monster in your graveyard from play!" A single card ejected itself from Faust's graveyard slot, and he slammed it onto his duel disk with almost childish glee. "I special summon Burning Skull Head!" The demon skull leaped into the air, cackling inhumanly. (1000/800)

Behind Faust, the Everliving Underworld Cannon gathered its energy and released its skull-shaped bullet. Kaito brought up his arms to defend himself, only for the shock to hit, causing him to stumble back as he grunted in pain. (LP: 2400- 800= 1600)

"The monster I'll be removing from play…" Faust licked his lips for a moment and then made his decision. "I'll remove Master of the Underdog!" Kaito gritted his teeth in frustration as the monster slid from his graveyard slot, a holographic ripple temporarily causing it to 'vanish'. His opponent laughed. "Next, I activate the monster effect of Plaguespreader Zombie! By returning any one card in my hand to the top of my deck, I special summon it!" The shambling, bloated undead creature reappeared on Faust's field, pulling its way up from a chasm in the arena. (400/500)

Kaito glanced at Faust's Skull Head. "So you summoned a level three monster instead of the level six Ryu Kokki- guess you want more than eight levels for your synchro summon, eh, Shiro?"

"How brilliant of you, Shishio." Faust rolled his eyes. "I activate the effect of a monster in my hand! By removing a level three or lower zombie-type monster in my graveyard from play, I can normal summon this monster without tribute. Come out, Hell Skull Biker!" A high-pitched scream echoed through the air as Faust's second Burning Skull Head was ejected from his graveyard slot and fell uselessly to the ground. A grinning skeleton dressed in a motorcycle jacket roared into the arena from the mist behind the zombie duelist, cackling as blue flames spurted from its eye sockets. Its mount- a motorcycle that seemed literally alive, a demon's face attached to its front breathing in and out- launched a stream of blue flames from its exhaust as well. (2100/1700)

Kaito added up the levels. "You aren't holding anything back, huh, Shiro?"

_[You know he has you now. Might as well give up.]_

_(You're not even trying to pretend to be me anymore, idiot.)_

_[Damn you! Why don't you just disappear?]_

The phantom voice rang out in Kaito's mind as Faust raised his hand to the air and clenched his fist. "You weren't bad, Shishio, once you started taking things seriously. But you can't even come close to my level! I tune my level five Hell Biker to my level three Burning Skull Head and level two Plaguespreader Zombie!" The shambling creature ripped itself open, releasing the now-familiar swarm of flies. Burning Skull Head swept through the rings, setting them ablaze as it dissolved into three stars. Close behind it, the skeletal biker was consumed by blue flame until it faded into a five-star constellation. The eight stars lined up within the rings of flies. "_From the depths of hell, come out and swallow the wicked! Synchro summon!_" Faust practically screamed as a column of light erupted behind him.

The beast that emerged from the column was larger than the cage Faust and Kaito were battling each other within. The hologram system adapted quickly, shifting its scale down. A grinning, crocodilian face leered down at Kaito, and a bear-like body clawed at the ground. The monster's long, black mane flowed as it screamed out a challenge. Faust smirked. "_Devour them, Wicked Judgment- Ammut!" _(2500/2000)

Below Faust's feet, the ground cracked. Souls flowed out- Ryu Kokki with its bony arms shuffled from the grave first, then Lone Skull Rider, then the remaining Burning Skull Head. Behind them came Skull Conductor and Faust's Hell Biker, and finally Pyramid Turtle. Faust cackled with glee. "When Wicked Judgment- Ammut is synchro summoned successfully, I remove every monster in my graveyard from play. For each card I remove in this way, I permanently increase its attack points by three hundred!" Ammut's jaw opened and a harsh vacuum pulled the souls of Faust's monsters into its jaws, which snapped shut. (4300/2000)

Faust's eyes lit up with a mad gleam as he pointed at the King of the Underdog. "Wicked Judgment- Ammut, devour that thing! _Final Torment!_" The massive beast lurched forward and opened its jaws again. The King of the Underdog's eyes widened in fright as a vacuum of force pulled him into Ammut's limitless stomach. The crocodile goddess shut her mouth and grinned slightly.

Kaito had steeled himself for the shock of the damage flux devices, but even knowing what was to come didn't change the fact that it was one of the worst shocks he had felt during the duel. He gasped in pain, breathing heavily as beads of sweat fell from his forehead to the ground. For a moment, the world fuzzed in his head. (1600- 1500= 100)

"Ammut's second monster effect," Faust grinned. "From now on, any monster sent to your graveyard will be removed from play. And each time a monster is removed from play, Ammut's attack points increase further!" The beast opened her mouth and roared. (4600/2000)

Kaito winced and glanced at the last card in his hand.

_[It's useless isn't it?]_

_(No, it isn't! I can still win with this!)_

_[You won't draw what you need. You'll disappear anyway. Just give in- it'll be easier.]_

_(Go to hell, bastard!)_

_[You're only mocking me because you know it's true. The odds are against you. Why can't you accept that?]_

_(Because…)_

Faust frowned. "Are you going to give in Shishio, or are you going to make your move?"

"I'll make it alright, Shiro!" Kaito roared as he grabbed the top card of his deck. A burst of adrenaline struck his system, and the world seemed to leap into overdrive. He closed his eyes. _(I won't give in because-)_

_(Because-)_

_(Because I can't! I don't know how to give in! I refuse to give in! The moment I give in is the moment I stop existing, and I refuse to let that happen, because I WANT TO LIVE!)_

The walls of fate buckled and shattered as Kaito drew.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

A white mist surrounded Achan, completely blocking his line of sight. He blinked as he stepped back, stumbling as he attempted to assess his unfamiliar surroundings. This wasn't the same void he remembered meeting the Queen in last time. What the hell was going on?

The mist in front of Achan cleared slightly, and a figure emerged- an elderly man wearing a pair of red-tinted sunglasses. The man bowed slightly. "Ah, Mr. Smith. Thank you for being my guest in this space between."

Achan shook his head. "Um, who-"

"'Who are you', correct?" The old man finished Achan's sentence before he could complete it. "I suppose you could call me your fairy godmother."

"My _what?_" Achan shook his head, attempting to clear it. "I mean, where are we? What does that mean? Where's the Queen? What-"

"The Queen?" The old man smiled, and behind the lenses of his glasses, Achan saw a hint of a glint in his eyes. "She's here, and she'll join us in a moment. As for where we are…" he chuckled for a moment, "Why don't I take us to someplace more comfortable?"

The old man snapped his fingers, and Achan found himself standing in the middle of his room. It wasn't his room in the hotel back in New York, or even any room he'd actually stayed in during his life. It was simply _his_ room, which he could somehow tell in the way he could tell that his body was his or that his arms and legs were his. Not that it didn't resemble rooms he had stayed in- the walls were plastered with posters of various games or anime he remembered playing and watching, and sketchbooks filled with various drawings were strewn across the floor and the bed. A desktop computer sat in the corner, humming away. The old man smiled again. "Welcome to your soul, Achan Smith. Not many people get the chance to know themselves so intimately."

Achan fervently wished that he had never found out that his soul smelled like stale, spilled energy drinks. He shook his head again, trying in vain to make sense of what was happening. "I'm- I'm still confused. Can you just please explain what's going on?"

"Unfortunately, Mr. Smith, we're playing a game," The old man's smile vanished. "Games have rules. And I'm afraid one of the rules of this game requires me to be infuriatingly vague when I interact with you, so as to avoid giving you unfair assistance."

Something clicked in Achan's mind. "You- you're one of the people in charge of that whole struggle-for-fate thing. You're the one who's backing us up and giving us all these special powers and things. What exactly are you, anyway?"

The old man didn't directly answer the question, but his smile returned. "You may call me The Elder if you want a name for me. Now, I believe, Mr. Smith, that you were asking about the location of a certain Queen?"

That's right, Achan remembered. He had been wondering about her. "Um- is she here because of you?" he asked carefully.

The Elder winked. "In a manner of speaking. You see, I'm not allowed to offer direct assistance to players within the game. Mortal souls on the other hand are free to offer assistance to either side, and thus cannot be barred from interfering by anyone involved. The rules never actually said whether said souls had to be from the same timeline or world as the current one. Given your- ahem- shall we say, somewhat lackluster track record as a duelist, I was only too delighted when our mutual friend volunteered to lend you some assistance. I simply placed her consciousness in the closest place possible to yours."

"Assistance?" Achan asked, puzzled. Okay, there had been the dueling lessons, but Wheels could have covered those without needing to be transplanted into his soul.

"Her talent, of course," the old man replied. "Her ability to create a miracle when faced with an insurmountable situation, not unlike a more controlled variation of what Mr. Shishio can accomplish. And it would have been a shame not to let her through," he mused. "She was so obsessed with that promise of yours too-"

The word threw a switch in Achan's memories. Something shifted in his mind.

_"Very well, then. I'm _, though you may simply refer to me as 'miss' if you like to use a less syllable-intensive title. A pleasure to meet you, I suppose. Just follow orders and try not to get in the way of my tournament victory, will you? I know you can't be as good as me, but at least __try__ to, alright?"_

A memory. It was stuck in his head. Who had said that? He remembered an intense feeling, a rivalry, some kind of desire to-

_"Very well, then. I'm _, though you may simply refer to me as 'miss' if you like to use a less syllable-intensive title"_

The name. What was her name? They'd gone through a lot together, he remembered. It was a promise they'd made. It wasn't something they'd really ever said outright because it didn't need saying. They just knew that they were going to meet at the end of the tournament and settle their score and that was that. What was her name?

_"Very well, then. I'm _,"_

Who was she?

"_I'm _,"_

WHO?

The thoughts ran together in a sickening mess, heaping one on top of another, until one word cut through the confusion and Achan blinked in surprise. "Tacey. That's right. She's Tacey."

The old man blinked for a moment, a bemused expression crossing his face. "Interesting. So you retained your memories of that time as well. I can't say that I foresaw that-" He chuckled again. "And I'd like to keep it that way."

Something else clicked. "So wait, you just trapped Tacey _in my soul?_" Achan didn't bother to disguise the note of contempt in his voice. "Did you even ask? What did you-"

"I didn't trap her here." The Elder's smile glinted dangerously. "While I was less-than-forthcoming about some of the exact details of the arrangement I could give her, your friend is quite free to leave this place at any time and rejoin the normal flow of this timeline. Of course, I can't guarantee that if she did so, her memories of your meeting and your promise would remain at all, and I've told her as much."

"Wait, wait," Achan shook his head vehemently. "Rewind a bit. You're telling me that because we promised to-" he struggled for a moment and then grasped the memory before it could fade, "We promised to meet in the finals of a tournament as rivals, she actually voluntarily chose to trap herself in my soul?"

The Elder nodded. "Sweet of her, wasn't it?"

"That's-" Achan found himself blushing slightly. "Um… wow."

The Elder nearly bent double with laughter. "Yes, that was definitely worth coming here," he chuckled.

"W-what's so funny!" Achan snapped, unaware that his blush was continuing to grow.

"Oh, humanity in general, I suppose," The Elder laughed. "Now, I believe I should take my leave while you and the queen have a little conversation. But I suppose I could share a token of my appreciation before I go." He reached into the pocket of his trousers and removed a small object, before tossing it to Achan. "Catch."

Achan caught it. It was a pair of pilot's goggles framed with red rims. A broad grin spread across his face. "Thanks!"

"I thought you might appreciate that," The Elder chuckled. He snapped his fingers, and then he was gone.

In his place sat the violet-haired girl Achan had, up until a few minutes ago, remembered only as the queen. Even after what he suspected was a supernatural jog of his memory he couldn't remember all of the exact details of the time they'd spent together, but he remembered enough to realize exactly what the fact that she was sitting in his mind meant. He swallowed, hard. "Um, Tacey, I-"

"Smith, let me be perfectly clear with you," The girl's tones were perfectly level and betrayed no emotion beyond minor annoyance. "I am _not_ doing this out of any sort of affection for you. I am here simply because I know that if I don't give you some assistance you will _never_ measure up to the sort of duelist you will need to be in order to keep our promise. You may be content with breaking yours, but I am quite capable of keeping _mine._ Do I make myself clear?"

Achan blinked. "Um, I wasn't actually going to say-"

"Never mind that," Tacey interrupted, grabbing Achan's arm and dragging him to the nearby desk. "You have a match to play and a winning move to make. Now here is what you are going to do if you don't want to lose-"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

As Kaito drew, a heat wave seemed to sweep throughout the field. The Lion of the East felt his body burning, pulsing with energy that flowed from his fingertips into his drawn card. He looked at it and smirked. "Alright, Shiro, it's time to end this. You hit me with everything you had last turn, so allow me to return the favor!" He slammed a monster onto his duel disk. "I summon Mad Dog of Darkness, in attack position!" A howl filled the air, and suddenly Kaito was flanked by a drooling, demonic pit bull. (1900/1400)

Faust sneered. "That card's one of the first monsters you played against me, back before you got this animal obsession. You trying to see if you can beat me with nostalgia, Shishio?"

"Like hell," Kaito smirked as he revealed the final card in his hand. "But just because I'm a stronger person now, that doesn't mean I've totally forgotten who I was yesterday. The Kaito Shishio from five minutes ago may be gone, but I remember him. The Kaito Shishio from when we were friends may be gone, but I remember him. And every lesson he- we- I- have ever learned is still with me! Every bit of strength from back then flows into the person I am now! Let me show you!" The Mad Dog of Darkness burst into motes of light, which flowed into King of the Veldt. "Gift of the Martyr lets me tribute one monster I control to give its attack points to another one!" The lion roared and shook out its fiery mane before digging its claws into the arena floor. (4900/1800)

Faust laughed madly. "Is that really the best you can do, Shishio? Ammut's effect is still active! When you send monsters to the graveyard while I control it, they're removed from play instead, and since they were removed because of its effect, Ammut gains three hundred more attack points!" The crocodile goddess's mouth opened with a grin. (4900/2000)

Kaito's eyes flashed. "I activate the effect of a card in my graveyard!"

Faust's eyes narrowed. "You shouldn't be able to-" he paused. "No way- you bastard! You discarded it back then, didn't you?"

In response, the red-haired duelist held up the violet-framed card that his duel disk had just ejected from its graveyard slot. "I activate the effect of the Skill Sucessor I discarded for the effect of King of the Underdog! When this card is in my graveyard, during any turn except the turn it was sent there, I can remove it from play to increase the attack points of a monster I control by eight hundred!" King of the Veldt roared in triumph as its already-colossal attack points soared up further. "I told you, Shiro, power is my strongest point! The moment you made this duel about that, it was already my victory!" (5700/1800)

For a moment, the arena was silent as both duelists attempted to stare each other to back down. Finally, Kaito broke the silence. "King of the Veldt, finish this! _Wrath of the Beast King- Extreme Lunatic Version!_" The lion roared, leaping high into the air as a trail of flame blossomed in its wake.

Faust looked at the approaching lion and shouted his response. "Just because you've won doesn't mean I'll go down easy! Ammut, counter-attack! _Final Torment!_" The beast nodded once to acknowledge his orders, and then opened her jaws and leapt to meet the king. There was a terrific clash in mid-air, and then an explosion of flame. When the fire and smoke cleared away, Kaito's lion stared down at Faust, victorious. (200- 800= 0)

"Hey, SHIRO!"

Faust recovered from the last electrical shock his damage flux devices delivered just in time to see Kaito's fist approaching his face. It struck head on, causing him to stumble backwards. With a roar of pain he caught his balance and then returned the favor, striking back with a devastating right hook. Kaito ducked beneath and attempted to move in close for an uppercut, only for Faust's left hand to bury itself in his stomach. The lion of the east grunted as he stumbled back, and then he charged again.

The assembled spectators stared in awe as the two duelists began to engage in a spirited brawl.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

"!"

Kaito and Faust charged each other, both shouting with all the strength they could muster. Their fists connected. One spectator's jaw dropped. "C-Cross counter?"

In synch, both duelists crashed to the ground.

Achan felt himself return to reality, and blinked as he stared across the field at his opponent. Ella Queen was glaring at him, hands on her hips. "Are you going to take your turn at all yet, boy?"

"O-of course I am!" Achan stammered. He felt a sudden weight in his pocket, and quickly transferred his cards to the hand currently occupied with his duel disk to reach inside. After a moment, he pulled the object out.

It was a pair of goggles with bright red rims.

Before Achan quite knew what he was doing, he had pulled the goggles onto his head and pointed directly at his opponent. "O-kay! You've had your fun, Queen, but now it's time for my counter attack!"

"OH? WHAT'S THIS? SMITH HAS DECLARED HE'LL BE MAKING A COUNTER-ATTACK! BUT WITH HIS OPTIONS SO LIMITED, HOW WILL HE BREAK THROUGH HIS OPPONENT'S DEFENSES!"

Ignoring the announcer, Achan gripped the top card of his deck. "It's my turn! I draw!"

Achan was used to supernatural experiences. They were just a part of being a seer. The moment he drew, however, he felt a charge like never before. Was this how it felt when Kaito broke fate? He felt giddy, like he had just poured a shot of adrenaline straight into his heart. A gust of wind ruffled his hair as he finished drawing. He opened one eye to glance at his card.

Somewhere inside, he half-heard Tacey's voice. _I _can _trust you to take it from here, Smith?_

"I activate the effect of a spell card!" Achan shouted, revealing the green-bordered card to his opponent. "Limit Break-All Creation!"

"In order to activate this card, you'll need to give up five hundred life points," Queen reminded Achan, smirking. "And you've left yourself three total plays from your hand and attacks."

"I'll have less than that!" Achan wasn't sure where the sudden burst of confidence he felt was coming from, but he decided to roll with it. "But it won't matter in a moment!" (LP: 2500- 500 = 2000) (LP: 2000- 1000= 1000)

"What?" Queen seemed genuinely surprised, and was even more so when Achan's Wandering Shinobi leaped into the air and hurled her gleaming, oversized shuriken directly across the field. The bladed weapon transformed into a blur of light, slicing straight through Level Tax, Toll, and Chain Energy.

Achan pumped his fist triumphantly. "Alright! Limit Break- All Creation forces me to pay half my life points if I control monsters other than 'Wandering Shinobi' when I activate it. But in exchange, I get to destroy up to three cards on the field, and their owners draw one card for each one destroyed!"

Queen shook her head. "Boy, are you trying to say you'll finish this in one turn? You've left my Wave-Motion Cannon intact, and yourself without enough life points to withstand even a single shot." It was quite true. The cannon, unperturbed by the maelstrom of energy that had destroyed the rest of Queen's back row, shook slightly.

Achan nodded vigorously. "That's exactly what I'm trying to say!" He slammed a monster from his hand onto his duel disk. "I summon Wandering Synchron, in attack position!"

With a shout, the stuffed bear and the cat on its back appeared on the field, flashing a 'thumbs-up' to the audience. (1600/1000)

"THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED! ACHAN SMITH IS ABOUT TO MAKE THE FIRST SYNCHRO SUMMON IN THE PRO LEAGUES USING THE WANDERING ARCHETYPE!" The announcer roared.

Achan had experienced surges of confidence before, but this was on a whole new level. It was confidence, yes, but it was also a thirst, and a hunger, and a natural high. He was nearly swept away by euphoria as he flipped his set monster face-up. "I flip summon Wandering Synthesist!"

The monster caused a number of audience members to coo in amusement. The mouse-like creature stood only at Achan's knees, and was dressed in what appeared to be a green mechanic's coat. It bounced a crystal in its hand, glaring across the field at Queen and daring her to make fun of the red tuft of fur that dangled like a pom-pom on an antenna above its head. (500/500)

"I activate Wandering Synthesist's effect!" Achan declared as he revealed the Limit Break-Bestialize and Limit Break- Seal Evil he had added to his hand. "Once per turn, Wandering Synthesist lets me shuffle any number of 'Limit Break' spells in my hand back into my deck, and then draw that same amount of cards." His deck whirred, and spat out the number of cards requested. "Anyway, that's not what I need him for! I have to thank you, Queen! Without your help, this victory wouldn't be possible!" In the back of Achan's mind, he dimly realized he was trash-talking. Maybe this was a by-product of the high he was still riding?

He pointed into the air as the lights above the arena caught the lenses of his goggles, causing them to shine in an appropriately dramatic fashion. "I tune my level four Wandering Synchron to my level four Wandering Shinobi and my level one Wandering Synthesist!"

The synthesist chirped as it exploded into a single star, while Wandering Synchron released its four gleaming gates. Wandering Shinobi disappeared as she back-flipped into the center of the column, leaving four stars behind. Achan chanted. "_Noble king of the ancient gods, please, lend me your blade! Synchro summon!" _

The column of light normally formed during a synchro summon transformed, changing into a massive raincloud. Behind Achan, a small mountain of earth slowly rose up. A single bolt of lightning revealed the image of a warrior on horseback standing at the mountain's peak. The rider's skin was a pale green, and one of its eyes was completely dimmed over and covered with a film of white. Two large horns grew from its head. Light glinted from the warrior's silver armor as his horse reared and leaped from the top of the mountain, and Achan finished his chant. "_Strike them all down, Wandering Eon- Odin!_" (2900/2000)

Queen stared at the synchro monster. "So, is this a show of your pride as an archetype- duelist, then?"

Achan wagged a finger at his opponent. "This is my pride as a duelist, period! I'll show you Odin's true power!" he revealed a single card in his hand. "I'll equip Odin with the spell card, United We Stand! By this card's effect, Odin's attack points will increase by eight hundred for each monster I control including Odin itself!" A pair of golden gauntlets appeared on the warrior's fists, shining with energy. (2900 + 2400= 5300 Atk)

"WHAT'S THIS? WHY IS SMITH POWERING UP HIS MONSTER, EVEN THOUGH HIS OPPONENT STILL HAS AN ARRAY OF DEFENSIVE SHIELDS?"

Dimly, Achan remembered that Tacey had rehearsed this bit with him very quickly when she had outlined his game plan. His win was secure- all he had to do was make three attacks in the correct order. "Wandering Eon- Odin will use its monster effect to attack directly!" he shouted.

Queen raised an eyebrow, unimpressed even as the warrior god raised a keen-edged blade over his head and his mount reared back before charging forward at a gallop. "Even with that many attack points, boy, a direct attack won't-"

"Odin's second monster effect activates!" Achan shouted, cutting her off. "When it attacks directly, I can choose to either raise its attack points by four hundred for each set card on the field or to send every set monster my opponent controls to the graveyard, and I choose the second one! Go, Odin- _Steel-Bladed Sword!_"

The warrior god swept his blade through the air as he rode toward Queen, unperturbed by the horizontal card backs blocking his approach. The moment the edge of the blade passed, each of the set cards split exactly in half before vanishing into the air.

Queen didn't flinch as the attack struck, and stood her ground even as she realized her inevitable defeat. "I…" She searched for something appropriate to say in response to what had just happened, and finally settled on "Well played, boy." (LP: 9100- 5300= 3800)

"Wandering Beast, your turn next!" Achan shouted as the red-furred monster leapt into the air. "Attack directly with _Sled Fang!_" As the monster dashed forward, its attack points shot up. (3000/1200)

Queen deflected the attack with her duel disk. (LP: 3800- 3000= 800)

Achan felt his euphoria soar into uncharted territory. "Wandering Hero, finish this! _BRAVER!_"

The warrior leapt into the air, a massive sword magically forming in his hands. He brought the blade down. Ella Queen bowed her head as a gesture of respect. "Not bad at all, boy. Your cards, at the least, are strong." (LP: 1200- 1700= 0)

"It's not just my cards!" Achan snapped in response as he pointed to his new headgear. "As long as I have this burning soul, I can beat anyone!" It was an odd thing to say, in retrospect, but it sounded cool and Kaito would probably have approved had he been present.

"THIS IS A MIRACLE! SMITH'S GOGGLES AND HIS BURNING SOULS HAVE CARRIED THIS ROOKIE TO HIS SECOND STRAIGHT PRO LEAGUE VICTORY!"

The announcer continued to roar congratulations as Achan stepped back from the arena.

He had _won_. And he had actually played out the final move this time.

Okay, so yes, Tacey had helped him plan out every step of it. And yes, the whole plan had kind of hinged on her giving him some favorable draws. And yes, maybe if she hadn't helped he would've been staring at a potentially-hopeless situation. But still, it was a win, right? And he had looked cool doing it, right? That was a lot better than last time.

Wheels was waiting for him. "How in the hell did you pull that off?"

Achan laughed nervously, feeling a bit of his euphoria drain away. "Um, er, my goggles and burning soul?"

Wheels glared at Bernard. "This is because of the supernatural bullshit, isn't it?"

Bernard shook his head. "I'm an angel and a duelist, not a mind reader. You'll have to question the boy himself. However, I believe in your situation it would be prudent not to look a gift horse in-"

"Save it," Wheels snapped. "Save it until later. Then we'll talk about it. Right now, you've got a match to play."

Bernard bowed and nodded. "I'll do my best to preserve this team's honor," he said as he slipped out from the hall.

Wheels returned to glaring at Achan. "Right. Explain it. You have five seconds."

"Um, well…" Achan paused, unsure of himself, and launched into an explanation. "Well I went inside my own head and there was this girl that I made a promise to who helped me and a guy who was my fairy godmother and he gave me these goggles and I'm not quite sure of why and-"

Wheels gave him a death glare that caused him to close his mouth instantly. "…Kid. Go lie down for about five minutes until your brain starts working again. You can explain after that."

"But I-" Achan began to protest.

"When I say go I mean _go, _goddammit!"

Achan scurried down the hallway without another word.

Rachel glanced at Wheels as the teenage duelist left. "You're pissed, but it's not at him."

The wheelchair-bound duelist gritted her teeth. "Damn right I'm pissed. Where the hell is that goddam cub? We're already into our second match, he should be here by now. And if Smith's right, he just went running off wherever the hell he wants. You don't do that in the pro leagues. You get to your goddam matches on time. You can't treat this like it's just a game and turn up whenever the hell you want!"

"You could put him in his place," Rachel suggested innocently.

Wheels blinked in surprise, and then stared at Rachel with admiration. "I love the way you think."

"Of course, an idiot like Shishio who only has one thing on his mind…" Rachel let her voice trail off as her lips curled into a smile.

"This is going to be so satisfying," Wheels replied, mirroring the grin.

In the back of the hallway, Cole watched the two and seethed. _Shishio… where the hell are you?_

_

* * *

_

-New Fake Cards Played-

**Faust-**

**Hell Skull Biker**

_Monster/FIRE/Zombie/5*_

Atk 2100/Def 1700

You can normal summon this card without tribute by removing a level three or lower zombie-type monster in your graveyard from play. When this card destroys an opponent's monster as a result of battle, inflict 500 points of damage to their life points. _(Note- this card based on another tweaked design from Lux-Nero. I lost the original document with this card, so I can't even actually remember if I tweaked its effect significantly)_

**Wicked Judgment- Ammut**

_Monster/DARK/Zombie/Synchro/10*_

Atk 2500/Def 2000

"1 Zombie-type tuner monster + 2 or more non-tuner monsters"

When a monster is removed from play by this card's effect, increase this card's Atk by 300. When this card is synchro summoned, remove all monsters in your graveyard from play. While this card is face-up on the field, monsters that would be sent to the graveyard are removed from play instead.

**Achan-**

**Wandering Synthesist**

_Monster/LIGHT/Spellcaster/1*_

Atk 500/Def 500

Once per turn, while you control this face-up attack position card, you can shuffle any number of "Limit Break" spell cards from your hand into your deck and then draw that same number of cards.

**Wandering Eon- Odin**

_Monster/WIND/Warrior/Synchro/9*_

Atk 2900/Def 2000

"1 'Wandering' tuner monster + 2 or more non-tuner monsters"

During the end phase of a turn that this monster attacked or was attacked, return it to the extra deck. When this card attacks, it attacks your opponent's life points directly. When this card declares an attack, select one of the following effects and activate it:

-Increase this card's Atk by 400 for each set card on the field.

-Send all set monsters your opponent controls to the graveyard. _(Thanks once again to Aea/Comedy of Circumstances for contributing Achan's extra deck.)_


End file.
